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You are Here :: Home :: Registration & Training :: General Radiation Safety for Clinical Center Employees :: F. Some Sources of Radiation Exposure in the United States


F. Some Sources of Radiation Exposure in the United States

The average amount of background radiation that a person living in the United States is estimated to receive is 360 millirems per year. At doses of radiation that are received due to background, or which are within Federal and internationally recognized standards for exposure to humans, NO biological effects would be expected. References for the dose estimates are available from the Radiation Safety Training Office by calling 6-2255.

Source

Dose

Natural Radiation
A 5 hour jet airplane ride 2.5 mrem/trip (0.5 millirem/hr at 39,000 feet) (Whole Body Dose)
Cosmic radiation from outer space 27 mrem/year (Whole Body Dose)
Terrestrial radiation 28 mrem/year (Whole Body Dose)
Natural radionuclides in the body 35 mrem/year (Whole Body Dose)
Radon gas 200 mrem/year (Lung Dose)
Diagnostic Medical Procedures
Chest X-Ray 8 mrem (Whole Body Dose)
Dental X-Rays (Panoramic)
(2 Bite-Wings) 		30 mrem (Skin Dose)
80 mrem (Skin Dose)
Mammogram 138 mrem per image
Barium Enema (X-Ray portion only) 406 mrem (Bone Marrow Dose)
Upper Gastrointestinal Tract 244 mrem (X-ray portion only) (Bone Marrow Dose)
Thallium Heart Scan 500 mrem (Whole Body Dose)
Consumer Products
Building Materials 3.5 mrem/year (Whole Body Dose)
Luminous Watches (H-3 and Pm-147) 0.04-0.1 mrem/yr (Whole Body Dose)
Tobacco Products (To smokers @ 30 cigarettes per day) 16000 mrem/year (Bronchial Epithelial Dose),


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