What is the annual radiation dose for a nuclear power plant worker?

What is the annual radiation dose for a nuclear power plant worker?

• A. 900 (MREM/YR)
• B. 1,000 (MREM/YR)
• C. 700 (MREM/YR)
• D. 2,000 (MREM/YR)

Answer: (C)

Occupational radiation dose is tracked in millirem per year, and worker exposure is kept as low as reasonably achievable under a regulatory limit. For whole-body exposure, the regulatory ceiling is five rem per year (5,000 mrem). Under normal operations, the typical annual dose for a nuclear power plant worker is a fraction of that limit—around a few tenths to about one rem. A value of 700 mrem per year (0.7 rem) fits that common, expected range for routine duties, reflecting a modest, everyday exposure. The other numbers represent higher annual doses (0.9, 1.0, or 2.0 rem). They are higher than the usual average for many workers, though still below the regulatory limit; they illustrate doses that could occur under certain circumstances but are less representative of the typical annual exposure.

Occupational radiation dose is tracked in millirem per year, and worker exposure is kept as low as reasonably achievable under a regulatory limit. For whole-body exposure, the regulatory ceiling is five rem per year (5,000 mrem). Under normal operations, the typical annual dose for a nuclear power plant worker is a fraction of that limit—around a few tenths to about one rem. A value of 700 mrem per year (0.7 rem) fits that common, expected range for routine duties, reflecting a modest, everyday exposure.

The other numbers represent higher annual doses (0.9, 1.0, or 2.0 rem). They are higher than the usual average for many workers, though still below the regulatory limit; they illustrate doses that could occur under certain circumstances but are less representative of the typical annual exposure.