| 1. |
Cosmic radiation that reaches the earth at sea level:
27 mrem/yr |
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| 2. |
Based upon the elevation at which you live, add 1 mrem/yr for every 250 feet:
Examples:
Atlanta - 1050 ft., Chicago - 595 ft., Dallas - 435 ft., Denver - 5280 ft., Las Vegas -
2000 ft., Minneapolis - 815 ft., Pittsburgh - 1200 ft., Washington, D. C. - 400 ft. |
Elevation:
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| 3. |
Based upon where you live, add the following for terrestrial radiation:
If you live in states that border the Gulf or Atlantic coasts (from Texas east and then north), add 23
mrem/yr
If you live in the Colorado Plateau area (around Denver), add 90 mrem/yr
If you live in middle America (rest of U. S.), add 46 mrem/yr |
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| 4. |
If you live in a stone, brick or concrete building, add 7 mrem/yr: |
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| 5. |
Radiation in our bodies from the food and water we ingest (potassium-40): 40 mrem/yr |
|
| 6. |
Radiation from the air due to radon (U.S. average): 200 mrem/yr |
|
| 7. |
Fallout from weapons testing: 1 mrem/yr
(actually less than 1 mrem/yr, but add 1 mrem/yr to be conservative) |
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| 8. |
If you travel on jet planes, add 1 mrem/yr per 1,000 miles of travel: |
Miles Traveled:
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| 9. |
If you have porcelain crowns or false teeth, add 0.07 mrem/yr:
Some of the radiation sources listed result in an exposure to only part of the body. For example,
false teeth result in a radiation dose to the mouth. The annual dose numbers given here represent
the effective dose to the whole body. |
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| 10. |
If you use gas lantern mantles when camping, add 0.003 mrem/yr: |
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| 11. |
If you wear a luminous wristwatch (LCD), add 0.06 mrem/yr: |
|
| 12. |
If you use luggage inspection at airports, add 0.002 mrem/yr: |
|
| 13. |
If you watch television add 1 mrem/yr: 1 mrem/yr
(actually less than 1mrem/yr, but add 1 mrem/yr to be conservative) |
|
| 14. |
If you use a video display terminal, add 1 mrem/yr:
1 mrem/yr
(actually less than 1 mrem/yr, but add 1 mrem/yr to be conservative) |
|
| 15. |
If you have a smoke detector, add 0.008 mrem/yr/smoke detector: |
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| 16. |
If you wear a plutonium-powered cardiac pacemaker, add 100 mrem/yr: |
|
| 17. |
For diagnostic X-rays, add an average of 50 mrem/yr per X-ray:
Examples of diagnostic X-rays are upper and lower gastrointestinal and chest X-rays |
Number of Diagnostic X-rays:
|
| 18. |
For nuclear medicine procedures, add an average of 430 mrem/yr per procedure:
An example of a nuclear medicine procedure would be a thyroid scan |
Number of Procedures:
|
| 19. |
If you live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant, add 0.009 mrem/yr: |
|
| 20. |
If you live within 50 miles of a coal-fired electrical utility plant, add 0.03 mrem/yr: |
|
| 21. |
If you smoke, add an estimated 1,300 mrem/yr due to radon decay products: |
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| |
YOUR AVERAGE TOTAL DOSE IN MILLIREMS PER YEAR: |
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