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MUSC Radiation Safety Office

Comparison of Radiation Doses from Various Sources

The following is a comparison of limits, doses and dose rates from many different radiation sources.

Source of Exposure	Dose
Average Dose to US public from All sources	360 mrem/year
Average Dose to US Public From Natural Sources	300 mrem/year
Average Dose to US Public From Medical Sources	53 mrem/year
Average dose to US Public from Weapons Fallout	< 1 mrem/year
Average Dose to US Public From Nuclear Power	< 0.1 mrem/year
Coal Burning Power Plant	0.165 mrem/year
X-rays from TV set (1 inch)	0.500 mrem/hour
Airplane ride (39,000 ft.)	0.500 mrem/hour
Nuclear Power Plant (normal operation at plant boundary)	0.600 mrem/year
Natural gas in home	9 mrem/year
Average Natural Background	0.008 mR/hour
Average US Cosmic Radiation	27 mrem/year
Average US Terrestrial Radiation	28 mrem/year
Terrestrial background (Atlantic coast)	16 mrem/year
Terrestrial background (Rocky Mountains)	40 mrem/year
Cosmic Radiation (Sea level)	26 mrem/year
Cosmic Radiation (Denver)	50 mrem/year
Background Radiation Total (East, West, Central US)	46 mrem/year
Background Radiation Total (Colorado Plateau)	90 mrem/year
Background Radiation Total (Atlantic and Gulf in US)	23 mrem/year
Radionuclides in the body (i.e., potassium)	39 mrem/year
Building materials (concrete)	3 mrem/year
Drinking Water	5 mrem/year
Pocket watch (radium dial)	6 mrem/year
Coast to coast Airplane roundtrip	5 mrem
Bitewing dental film	0.4 mrem
Mammogram	13 mrem
Chest x-ray (PA)	2 mrem
Chest x-ray (lateral)	4 mrem
Skull (lateral)	1 mrem
Thoracic spine (AP)	40 mrem
Thoracic spine (lateral)	30 mrem
Lumbar spine (AP)	70 mrem
Lumbar spine (lateral)	30 mrem
Abdomen (AP)	70 mrem
Abdomen	53 mrem
Upper GI series	245 mrem
Lower GI series	405 mrem
CT head	200 mrem
CT chest	800 mrem
CT abdomen	1,000 mrem
CT pelvis	1,000 mrem
CT head and chest	1,100 mrem
Therapeutic thyroid treatment (dose to the thyroid)	10,000,000 mrad
Therapeutic thyroid treatment ( whole body)	7,000 mrem
Earliest Onset of Radiation Sickness	75,000 mrad
Onset of hematopoietic syndrome	300,000 mrad
Onset of gastrointestinal syndrome	1,000,000 mrad
Onset of cerebrovacular syndrome	10,000,000 mrad
Thershold for cataracts (dose to the eye)	200,000 mrad
Expected 50% death without medical attention	400,000 mrad
Doubling dose for genetic effects	100,000 mrad
Doubling dose for cancer	500,000 mrad
Dose for increase cancer risk of 1 in a 1,000	1,250 mrem
SL1 Reactor Accident highest dose to survivor	27,000 mrem
Three Mile Island (dose at plant duration of the accident)	80 mrem