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The rad is a unit of absorbed radiation dose, defined as 1 rad = 0.01 Gy = 0.01 J/kg. [1] It was originally defined in CGS units in 1953 as the dose causing 100 ergs of energy to be absorbed by one gram of matter. The material absorbing the radiation can be human tissue, air, water, or any other substance.
One sievert equals 100 rem, which is an older, CGS radiation unit. Conventionally, deterministic health effects due to acute tissue damage that is certain to happen, produced by high dose rates of radiation, are compared to the physical quantity absorbed dose measured by the unit gray (Gy). [3]
Recognized effects of higher acute radiation doses are described in more detail in the article on radiation poisoning.Although the International System of Units (SI) defines the sievert (Sv) as the unit of radiation dose equivalent, chronic radiation levels and standards are still often given in units of millirems (mrem), where 1 mrem equals 1/1,000 of a rem and 1 rem equals 0.01 Sv.
Relationship of ICRU/ICRP computed Protection dose quantities and units. The absorbed dose also plays an important role in radiation protection, as it is the starting point for calculating the stochastic health risk of low levels of radiation, which is defined as the probability of cancer induction and genetic damage. [8]
This category identifies units of radiation dose. See also: radiation poisoning, Category:Units of radioactivity. Pages in category "Units of radiation dose"
Dose and dose rate are used to measure different quantities [1] in the same way that distance and speed are used to measure different quantities. When considering stochastic radiation effects, only the total dose is relevant; each incremental unit of dose increases the probability that the stochastic effect happens. [ 4 ]
For comparison, radiation levels inside the United States Capitol are 85 mrem/yr (0.85 mSv/yr), close to the regulatory limit, because of the uranium content of the granite structure. [14] The NRC sets the annual total effective dose of full body radiation, or total body radiation (TBR), allowed for radiation workers 5,000 mrem (5 rem). [15] [16]
In 1953 the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) recommended the rad, equal to 100 erg/g, as the unit of measure of the new radiation quantity absorbed dose. The rad was expressed in coherent cgs units. [5] In 1975 the unit gray was named as the SI unit of absorbed dose. One gray is equal to 1 J/kg (i.e. 100 rad).