Quote:
Originally Posted by rmay635703
There have been arguements that high natural background does not destroy the body as manmade violent bursts of radiation seem to.
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The more common argument is that the body has evolved to tolerate fairly low (but higher than typical background exposure, and has defenses which can repair any damage, up to a point at which the defenses are overwhelmed.
This is, in fact, the normal mechanism for most things. Most poisons have a lethal dose; a small fraction of that dose doesn't kill. Indeed, many things are beneficial in small doses, but harmful or fatal in large amounts.
Maybe the best analogy is to sunlight, since it's a form of radiation. Low to moderate doses are good for you: they help produce the body's requirement of Vitamin D, help ward off depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder), and more. Large doses cause serious burns, and can even kill.