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image/svg+xml Radiation Dose Chart This is a chart of the ionising radiation dose a person can absorb from various sources. The unit for absorbed dose is "sievert" (Sv), and measures the effect that a dose of radiation will have on the cells of the body. One sievert (all at once) will make you sick, and too many more will kill you, but we safely absorb small amounts of natural radiation daily. Note: The small number of sieverts absorbed in a shorter timewill generally cause more damage, but cumulative long-termdose plays a big role in things like cancer risk. Sleeping next to someone (0.05 μSv) Living within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant for a year (0.09 μSv) Eating one banana (0.1 μSv) Living within 50 miles of a coal power plant for a year (0.3 μSv) One arm X-ray (1 μSv) Using a CRT monitor for a year (1 μSv) Extra dose from spending one day inan area with higher-than-averagenatural background radiation, suchas the Colorado plateau (1.2 μSv) Extra dose from one day in an averagetown near the Fuku-shima plant (~3.5 μSvas of 17 March, varies quite a bit) Dentalor handX-ray (5 μSv) Background dose receivedby an average person overone normal day (10 μSv) Airplane flight from New York to LA (40 μSv) Using a cell phone (0 μSv) - a cell phone's transmitter doesnot produce ionizing radiation* and does not cause cancer. * Unless it's a bananaphone. = (0.05 μSv) (20 μSv) = = = (10 mSv) (1 Sv) Ten minutes next to theChernobyl reactor core afterexplosion and meltdown (50 Sv) Chest X-ray (20 μSv) All the doses in the bluechart combined (~60 μSv) Living in a stone, brick or concretebuilding for a year (70 μSv) Average total dose from the ThreeMile Island accident to someoneliving within 10 miles (80 μSv) EPA yearly release limit for a nuclearpower plant (250 μSv) Yearly dose fromnatural potassium inthe body (390 μSv) EPA yearly release limiton radiation exposureto a single member of the public(1 mSv = 1,000 μSv) Maximumexternal dosefrom ThreeMile Islandaccident(1 mSv) Mammogram(3 mSv) One-day dose (~ 3.6 mSv)at two sites 50 km NW ofFukushima on 16 March, seenagain on 17 March. However, other areas near Fukushimasaw barely-elevated doses. Normal yearly backgrounddose. About 85% is fromnatural sources. Nearly all of the rest is frommedical scans. (~ 3.65 mSv) EPA yearly release target fora nuclear power plant (30 μSv) Chest CT scan (5.8 mSv) Dose from spending an hour on the grounds atthe Chernobyl plant in2010 (6 mSv in one spot,but varies wildly) Maximum yearly dose permitted for US radiation workers (50 mSv) Radiation workerone-year doselimit (50 mSv) Lowest one-year doseclearly linked toincreased cancerrisk (100 mSv) Dose causing symptomes ofradiation poisoning ifrecieved in a short time(400 mSv, but varies) All the doses in the greenchart combined (~75 mSv) EPS guidelines for emergencysituations, provided toensure quick decision-making: Dose limit for emergencyworkers protecting valuableproperty (100 mSv) Dose limit for emergencyworkers in lifesavingoperations (250 mSv) Severe radiationpoisoning, insome cases fatal(2000 mSv, 2Sv) Extremely severe radiation poisoning. Survival sometimes possible with prompt treatment (4Sv) Fatal dose, even with treatment (8Sv) Chart by Randall Munroe, with help from Ellen, Senior reactor operator at the Reed Research Reactor, who suggested the idea and provided a lot of thesources. I'm sure I've added in lots of mistakes; it's for general education only. If you're basingradiation safety procedures on an internet SVG image and things go wrong, you have no one toblame but yourself. Sources: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part020/ www.nema.ne.gov/technological/dose-limits.html http://www.dep.idaho.gov/inl\_oversight/radiation/dose\_calculator.cfm http://www.dep.idaho.gov/inl\_oversight/radiation/radiation\_guide.cfm http://mitnse.com/ http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/PDF/03SER/Chapter\_8.pdf http://dels-old.nas.edu/dels/rpt\_briefs/rerf\_final.pdf http://people.reed.edu/\~emcmanis/radiation.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sievert http://blog.vornaskotti.com/2010/07/15/into-the-zone-chernobyl-propyat/ http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fzacts-sheets/tritium-radiation-fs.html http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a\_menu/other/detail/\_\_icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/18/1303727\_1716.pdf