How Does One Proton Decay Per Year Impact Our Health?

[robertjford80]

We're made of roughly 10^28 protons. Let's imagine that the average lifespan of a proton were 10^28 years even though it is much higher. That would mean one proton per year would decay in our body. How much harm would one proton decay cause us?

 

[alexg]

Extremely sensitive experiments to detect proton decay have yet to find any.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super-Kamiokande

 

[robertjford80]

I know that. What I'm wondering is how much energy does proton decay release and how much harm would that energy release cause us.

 

[jtbell]

how much energy does proton decay release

The decay mode given by Wikipedia's article on proton decay has a net result of $p \rightarrow e^+ +2 \gamma$. Can you calculate how much energy that would release, corresponding to the difference in mass?

 

[mfb]

About 100-1000 radioactive decays happen in an average human per second - not from protons, but from other particles. This is a rough estimate, but it is enough to show that proton decays (if possible) are completely negligible. In addion, some high-energetic muons cross a human body each second.

 

[daveb]

Not to mention the (rough) 200 mrem per year from just radon decay.