Test sources are a lot more common than you might think. We are swimming through a sea of background radiation on a daily basis. Most of it has nothing to do with the apocalypse and is quite normal.
Common test sources (other than dismantling smoke detectors which is illegal in some places):-
Uranium Glass (can be found in junk shops if you have a UV torch).
LoSalt or anything containing a lot of potasium (K40).
Atmospheric Radon (commonly occurring in places with uranium deposits).
Radium commonly found on old glow in the dark watch hands and faces.
A fun way to collect together enough atmospheric Radon for a simple experiment is written up at:-
Would you believe my son just doing end of 2nd yr for 4 yr MSc Phy and for labs last term they were asked to bring in Banana as an ‘every day’ source they could measure/evaluate in rad lab which is why it was in mind …love the chart - have passed link on to him!
Bannanas are one of those meme’s that has somehow gripped the public’s imagination. But are not really a particularly good measure. The BED (Bannana Equivalent Dose) is incredibly variable.
Other foodstuffs are more radioactive. LoSalt being one. Brasil Nuts are another.
Some plants sequester away heavy elements to safeguard the rest of them. Brasils do this and you can get buildup of heavier elements in the nuts if it is present in the environment they were grown in. A decent Gamma spectrometry rig will let you see what these are by their unique gamma lines. It is fun to play wiht this sort of kit and try random sample bought in local supermarkets and stores, to see what is in it.
If the gamma spec kit is sensitive enough you have to take a background spectrum and subtract it so as to see the weaker traces.
Certain areas of the UK are quite radiologicaly lively due to local geological deposits, more so when industrial activity has dumped it all over the surface.
A project that monitors this natural-ish background and reports on it is not actually a bad idea.
(Good source of potassium…)
…love the chart - have passed link on to him! 