Bananas are slightly dangerous due to the content of a radioactive element. Scientists from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhang Xiaotiang and Liao Jie, are alarmed. In addition to the harmless potassium, these fruits contain its isotope – potassium-40, which is a source of ionizing radiation, adversely affecting health. Its content in the fruit is negligible.
“The radiation dose we get when we eat a banana is about 0.0778 microsieverts. This is insignificant. For comparison: computed tomography of the chest is equivalent to 70 thousand bananas, “said in an article published in WeChat. Periodically, scientists use the so-called “banana equivalent” to measure some radioactive sources. For example, the maximum allowable impact of nuclear power plants is equal to the consumption of 2,500 bananas per year, and the lethal dose is about 35 million. Scientists emphasize that radioactive radiation surrounds people everywhere, especially in X-rays and computed tomography, as well as in smoking. The tobacco polonium-201 and lead-210 are much more dangerous than bananas.
