Estimates of average annual dose equivalent to the whole body from various sources of irradiation received by members of the U.S. population

▪ Table

Estimates of average annual dose equivalent to the whole body from various sources of irradiation received by members of the U.S. population

source of radiation average dose rates (mSv/year)

Natural

environmental

cosmic radiation 0.27 (0.27–1.30)*

terrestrial radiation 0.28 (0.30–1.15)**

internal radioactive isotopes 0.36

subtotal 0.91

Man-made

environmental

technologically enhanced 0.04

global fallout 0.04

nuclear power 0.002

medical

diagnostic 0.78

radiopharmaceuticals 0.14

occupational 0.01

miscellaneous 0.05

subtotal 1.06

total 1.97

*Values in parentheses indicate range over which average levels for different states vary with elevation.

**Range of variation (shown in parentheses) attributable largely to geographic differences in the content of potassium-40, radium, thorium, and uranium in the Earth's crust.

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