Energy Guide

EMF & RF Safety Levels - A Comparative Guide ScanTech
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RADIATION LEVELS & THEIR EFFECTS
The following table gives an indication of the likely effects of a range of whole body radiation doses and dose rates to
individuals:
10,000 mSv (10 sieverts) as a short-term and whole-body dose would cause immediate illness, such as nausea and de-
creased white blood cell count, and subsequent death within a few weeks.
Between 2 and 10 sieverts in a short-term dose would cause severe radiation sickness with increasing likelihood that this
would be fatal.
1,000 mSv (1 sievert) in a short term dose is about the threshold for causing immediate radiation sickness in a person of
average physical attributes, but would be unlikely to cause death. Above 1000 mSv, severity of illness increases with
dose.
If doses greater than 1000 mSv occur over a long period they are less likely to have early health effects but they create a
definite risk that cancer will develop many years later.
Above about 100 mSv , the probability of cancer (rather than the severity of illness) increases with dose. The estimated
risk of fatal cancer is 5 of every 100 persons exposed to a dose of 1000 mSv (ie. if the normal incidence of fatal cancer
were 25%, this dose would increase it to 30%).
50 mSv is, conservatively, the lowest dose at which there is any evidence of cancer being caused in adults. It is also the
highest dose which is allowed by regulation in any one year of occupational exposure. Dose rates greater than 50 mSv/yr
arise from natural background levels in several parts of the world but do not cause any discernible harm to local popula-
tions.
20 mSv/yr averaged over 5 years is the limit for radiological personnel such as employees in the nuclear industry, ura-
nium or mineral sands miners and hospital workers (who are all closely monitored).
10 mSv/yr is the maximum actual dose rate received by any Australian uranium miner.
3-5 mSv/yr is the typical dose rate (above background) received by uranium miners in Australia and Canada.
3 mSv/yr (approx) is the typical background radiation from natural sources in North America, including an average of al-
most 2 mSv/yr from radon in air.
2 mSv/yr (approx) is the typical background radiation from natural sources, including an average of 0.7 mSv/yr from ra-
don in air. This is close to the minimum dose received by all humans anywhere on Earth
.
0.3-0.6 mSv/yr is a typical range of dose rates from artificial sources of radiation, mostly medical.
0.05 mSv/yr , a very small fraction of natural background radiation, is the design target for maximum radiation at the pe-
rimeter fence of a nuclear electricity generating station. In practice the actual dose is less.