What is the annual occupational dose equivalent limit for the whole body?

• A. 1.5 rem or .015 Sv
• B. 5 rem or 0.05 Sv
• C. 15 rem or 0.15 Sv
• D. 50 rem or .5 Sv

Answer: (B)

The annual occupational dose limit for the whole body is five rem per year, which equals 0.05 Sv. This limit is set to keep cancer risk from radiation exposure at an acceptable level for workers. Remember that rem is the traditional unit for dose equivalent, and 1 rem equals 0.01 Sv, so 5 rem corresponds to 0.05 Sv.

The other numbers relate to different parts of the body or different interpretations: 15 rem is the limit typically assigned to the lens of the eye, and 50 rem (0.5 Sv) is the limit for skin or extremities. These are not the whole-body limits.