Biomedicine: The maximum permissible workday dose for occupational exposure to radiation is 26 mrem. A 55-kg laboratory technician absorbs 3.3 mJ of 0.40-MeV gamma rays in a workday. The relative biological efficiency (RBE) for gamma rays is 1.00. What is the ratio of the equivalent dosage received by the technician to the maximum permissible equivalent dosage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The equivalent dosage is the absorbed dose multiplied by the RBE. The absorbed dose is the energy deposited per unit mass, and the RBE is a factor that accounts for the different biological effectiveness of different types of radiation. In this case, the absorbed dose is 3.3 mJ / 55 kg = 60 mrem, and the equivalent dosage is 60 mrem * 1.00 = 60 mrem. The maximum permissible equivalent dosage is 26 mrem, so the ratio of the equivalent dosage received by the technician to the maximum permissible equivalent dosage is 60 mrem / 26 mrem = 0.23.

Biomedicine: the Maximum Permissible Workday Dose for Occupational Exposure to Radiation