Each year, 1.5 million tourists visit a landmark that’s more radioactive than the legal limits for a power plant.
You might not immediately guess what it is, unless you’re considering a place like Chernobyl.
Fortunately, there’s no lethal “claw of death” here – unlike in Chernobyl.
However, this isn’t in Europe; it’s located in the United States.
If you’re from New York City, this might not come as a surprise to you – it’s Grand Central Terminal.
Forbes reports that 1.5 million tourists visited Grand Central in 2023, not counting daily train and subway passengers, with more than 750,000 people passing through the terminal every day.
It’s the second most-visited tourist spot in New York, just after Times Square.
So why does this widely accessible location register such high levels on a Geiger counter?
The reason lies in the substantial amount of granite and brick used in its construction – a stunning feature that has helped maintain its status as a tourist attraction for over a century.
Believe it or not, the impressive architecture was designed and built between 1903 and 1913.
The large amounts of granite contribute to its radioactivity because granite naturally emits radiation.
According to the Department of Energy, some parts of the station average 525 mrem per year – a unit used to estimate the potential health effects of low-level ionizing radiation on the human body.
However, whether you’re visiting or working there, it’s not actually dangerous – you won’t mutate.
Although radiation may sound manmade, often associated with nuclear bombs, it actually comes from natural materials.
This is why radiation is so prevalent in various aspects of our lives – such as x-rays and radiotherapy – making it something we encounter everywhere.
According to ABC News, nuclear researcher Eric Hall also mentions that the radiation doses at Grand Central are “very, very small.”
The base of the building’s exterior is constructed from Stony Creek granite, while the upper portion is made of Indiana limestone from Bedford, Indiana.
So next time you’re in the Big Apple, make sure to visit Grand Central Terminal.