Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant - Unit 1 Meltdown & Radiation released, Unit 3 had hydrogen explosion, Unit 2 problem cooling & possible fuel rod failure, and release of radioactive material
Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant - Unit 1 Meltdown & Radiation released, Unit 3 had hydrogen explosion, Unit 2 problem cooling & possible fuel rod failure, and release of radioactive material
Comparison and description of various dose levels
Dose level Description
1 mrem (10 micro Sieverts) Approximate daily dose from natural background radiation, including radon
2.5 mrem (25 micro Sv) Cosmic dose to a person on a one-way airplane flight from New York to Los Angeles
10 mrem (100 micro Sv)Annual exposure limit set by EPA for exposures from airborne emissions from operations of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, including power plants, uranium mines, and mills
45 mrem (450 microSv) Average yearly dose from cosmic radiation received by people in the Paducah area
46 mrem (460 micro Sv) Estimate of the largest dose any off-site person could have received from the March 28, 1979, Three Mile Island nuclear accident
66 mrem (660 micro Sv) Average yearly dose to people in the United States from human-made sources
100 mrem (1000 micro Sv) Annual limit of dose from all DOE facilities to a member of the public who is not a radiation worker
110 mrem (1100 micro Sv) Average occupational dose received by U.S. commercial radiation workers in 1980
244 mrem (2440 micro Sv) Average dose from an upper gastrointestinal diagnostic X-ray series
300 mrem (3000 micro Sv) Average yearly dose to people in the United States from all sources of natural background radiation
1 to 5 rem (10000 - 50,000 micro Sv) Level at which EPA Protective Action Guidelines state that public officials should take emergency action when this is a probable dose to a member of the public from a nuclear accident
5 rem (50,000 micro Sv) Annual limit for occupational exposure of radiation workers set by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission and DOE
10 rem (100,000 micro Sv) Estimated level at which an acute dose would result in a lifetime excess risk of death from cancer 0.8%
25 rem (250,000 micro Sv)EPA guideline for voluntary maximum dose to emergency workers for
non-lifesaving work during an emergency
75 rem (750,000 micro Sv) EPA guideline for maximum dose to emergency workers volunteering for lifesaving work
50 to 600 rem (500,000 - 6,000,000 micro Sv) Level at which doses received over a short period of time produce radiation sickness in varying degrees. At the lower end of this range, people are expected to recover completely, given proper medical attention. At the top of this range, most people will die within 60 days
Adapted from Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1993, Summary Pamphlet,
WSRC-TR-94-076, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, 1994.
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/env_rpt/aser95/tb-a-2.pdf
I did the microSv conversions based on 1 mrem = 10 microSieverts
