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Everyone is exposed to a certain level of background radiation from naturally occurring radioactive substances in the ground (terrestrial radiation) and radiation from outer space (cosmic radiation). So doses of radiation from medical examinations can be put into perspective by comparing them with your normal expected background radiation dose. The National Radiation Protection Board (NRPB) in the UK has estimated the radiation dose you would receive when undergoing certain diagnostic tests. To put this into perspective, they have equated this with the amount of time it would take for you to receive the same dose from natural background radiation.
In addition, if you participate in certain activities, such as flying, or if you live at a high altitude, your background dose will be increased. For example, a dose of 0.03 mSv (such as you would receive from a conventional X-ray) is approximately the same dose you would receive during a 7 hour transatlantic flight.b
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