FYI: Radiation dose equivalent/orders of magnitude reference

[Hannah Bell]

Sievert (Sv) is the unit Japanese officials have been using.

Multiples:

Millisievert (mSv): 1 mSv = .001 Sv
Microsievert (μSv): 1 μSv = .000001 Sv

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sievert


Dose converter:

http://unit-converter.org/en/equivalent_dose/mSv.html


mSv/time = effect/level

0.48/day = USA NRC public area exposure limit

1.1/year = 1980 average USA radiation worker occupational dose
2/Acute (one-time exposure) = Head CT scan
3.66/year = USA average from all sources, including medical diagnostic radiation doses
5/Pregnancy = USA NRC occupational limit for pregnant women (uncited)
8/Acute = Chest CT

10–50/Acute = USA EPA nuclear accident emergency action level
100/Acute = USA EPA acute dose level estimated to increase cancer risk 0.8%

250/Acute = USA EPA voluntary maximum dose for emergency non-life-saving work
750/Acute = USA EPA voluntary maximum dose for emergency life-saving work

500-1000/Acute = Low-level radiation sickness due to short-term exposure
3000/Acute = Thyroid dose (due to iodine absorption) exclusion zone criteria
4500-5000/Acute = LD50 (median lethal dose) in humans (from radiation poisoning), with medical treatment

* the median lethal dose, LD50 of a toxic substance or radiation is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population after a specified test duration.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_%28radiation%29