Radiation units and dose quantities

Prepared by
Prof.Dr.Omar Desouky
2 2: Radiation units and dose quantities
-1
Ci
Bq = 1 dps
1 Ci = 3.7 1010 dps
1 Ci = 3.7 1010 Bq
4
 Dose of Radiation

Radiation energy
absorbed by a body
per unit mass.

5 5
 Exposure: X
Exposure is a dosimetric quantity for measuring
ionizing electromagnetic radiation (X-rays & -
rays), based on the ability of the radiation to
produce ionization in air.

Units:
coulomb/kg (C/kg)
or
roentgen (R)

1 R = 0.000258 C/kg

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7
2: Radiation units and dose quantities 8
 Exposure: X
The SI unit of exposure is Coulomb per
kilogram [C kg-1]
The former special unit of exposure was
Roentgen [R]
1 R = 2.58 x 10-4 C kg-1
C kg-1 = 3876 R

9
 Exposure rate: X/t
Exposure rate (and later, dose rate) is the
exposure produced per unit of time.
The SI unit of exposure rate is the C/kg
per second or R/s.
In radiation protection it is common to
indicate these rate values
per hour (e.g. R/h).

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 -2
-1-2 )(Absorbed dose

( )
:
) (Gray .
Rad . :
) (1 : Gy ,

1 = 1 /
( )2 : 100 ,
1 = 100 /
= 10 , =1000

1 = 100
13
 Absorbed dose: D
The absorbed dose D, is the energy
absorbed per unit mass. This quantity
is defined for all ionizing radiation
(not only for electromagnetic
radiation, as in the case of the
exposure), and for any material.
Harold Gray

SI unit = joule per kg (J/kg) or gray

(Gy).

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 Absorbed dose (D)

Energy imparted to matter

from any type of radiation

D - absorbed dose,
E - energy absorbed by material of mass m
Part 4, lecture 1: General principles
16
 Units of absorbed dose

The SI unit:
joule/kilogram or gray (Gy)
1 Gy = 1 J/kg

Traditional (old) unit:

rad (radiation absorbed dose)
1 Gy=100 rad
 -2-2 Equivalent dose

.
 :
) (Sievert

) (rem

-:
1 = 100
 Equivalent dose (HT)

Accounts for biological effect

per unit dose
radiation weighting absorbed
X
factor ( WR ) dose (D)

HT = WR x D
 Equivalent Dose : HT,R
The absorbed dose in an organ or tissue multiplied
by the relevant radiation weighting factor :

H T , R wR DT , R
where DT,R is the average absorbed dose in the
organ or tissue T, and wR is the radiation weighting
factor for radiation R.

21


,
,
,
,

 Radiation Weighting Factors

Type and Energy Range wR

Photons: all energies 1
Electrons : all energies 1
Neutrons: energy < 10 keV 5
Neutrons: 10 keV to 100 keV 10
Neutrons: > 100 keV to 2 MeV 20

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 Radiation Weighting Factors

Type and Energy Range wR

Neutrons: > 2 MeV to 20 MeV 10
Neutrons: > 20 MeV 5
Protons: > 2 MeV 5
Alpha particles, fission fragments,
20
heavy nuclei

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 Unit of equivalent dose
The SI unit: sievert (Sv)
HT (Sv) = WR x D (Gy)

Traditional (old) unit:

rem (roentgen equivalent man)
HT (rem) = WR x D (rad)

1 Sv = 100 rem
 Effective Dose: ET
Effective dose takes into account the organ
specific radio-sensitivity to develop cancer and
hereditary effects from radiation

Unit = sievert, Sv

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26
 -3-2 Effective dose

wT
0.20 ( )
0.12
0.12
0.12

0.12
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.01
0.01
0.05

 Quantity and Radiation Units

Energy/Mass

WR WT

Absorbed Dose
Equivalent Dose Effective Dose

Corrects for Corrects for Organ

Biological Sensitivity and
Effectiveness of Partial Body
Differing Exposures
Radiations
30
 Dose rate

=
A technician is in an area for 10 minutes and the
reading on the survey meter is 5Sv/h. What dose of
radiation does the technician receive?

5 Sv/h / 60 min./h = 0.0833 Sv/min.

0.0833 Sv/min. x 10 minutes = 0.833 Sv

total dose
 Effective dose (E)
Risk related parameter, taking relative
radiosensitivity of each organ and tissue
into account

E = T (WT x HT)
WT - tissue weighting factor for organ T
HT - equivalent dose received by organ or tissue T

The SI unit of effective dose: sievert (Sv)

 Effective Dose: ET

A summation of the tissue equivalent doses, each

multiplied by the appropriate tissue weighting
factor:
E wT H T
T

where HT is the equivalent dose in tissue T and wT

is the tissue weighting factor for tissue T.

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 Tissue weighting factor
To reflect the combined detriment from
stochastic effects due to the equivalent
doses in all the organs and tissues of the
body, the equivalent dose in each organ
and tissue is multiplied by a tissue
weighting factor, WT, and the results are
summed over the whole body to give the
effective dose E

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 Tissue Weighting Factors

Tissue or Organ WT Tissue or Organ WT

Gonads 0.20 Liver 0.05
Bone marrow (red) 0.12 Oesophagus 0.05
Colon 0.12 Thyroid 0.05
Lung 0.12 Skin 0.01
Stomach 0.12 Bone surface 0.01
Bladder 0.05 Remainder 0.05
Breast 0.05

IAEA
37 2: Radiation units and dose quantities
 Relationship of Exposure, Absorbed Dose, and
Dose Equivalent

38 2: Radiation units and dose quantities

2: Radiation units and dose quantities 39