How long can you remain outside with a radiation count of 150 μSv/hr ?

18 March 2011 Geoff Zeiss

MEXT has reported a radiation reading of 150 μSv/hr 30 km northwest of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  If you were living there and this rate is sustained for a long period of time, would you have to worry ?

In Canada maximum dosage rates are based on the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). 

Maximum Dose for a Nuclear Energy Worker

If you are a nuclear energy worker, the maximum dose over a five year period is 100 mSv with an additional restriction that the dose in any single year is not to exceed 50 mSv.

With a rate of 0.150 mSv/hr, you would reach 50 mSv in 333 hours, or about 14 days.

Maximum Dose for the General Public

The maximum permissable dose for the general public is one mSv/yr. (This is over and above the dose you get from ambient background radiation.)

With a rate of 0.150 mSv/hr, you would reach the annual maximum dose in about seven hours.

Conclusion

You really don’t want to be outside in this level of radiation for an extended period.

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience developing enterprise geospatial solutions for the utilities, communications, and public works industries. His particular interests include the convergence of BIM, CAD, geospatial, and 3D. In recognition of his efforts to evangelize geospatial in vertical industries such as utilities and construction, Geoff received the Geospatial Ambassador Award at Geospatial World Forum 2014. Currently Geoff is Principal at Between the Poles, a thought leadership consulting firm. From 2001 to 2012 Geoff was Director of Utility Industry Program at Autodesk Inc, where he was responsible for thought leadership for the utility industry program. From 1999 to 2001 he was Director of Enterprise Software Development at Autodesk. He received one of ten annual global technology awards in 2004 from Oracle Corporation for technical innovation and leadership in the use of Oracle. Prior to Autodesk Geoff was Director of Product Development at VISION* Solutions. VISION* Solutions is credited with pioneering relational spatial data management, CAD/GIS integration, and long transactions (data versioning) in the utility, communications, and public works industries. Geoff is a frequent speaker at geospatial and utility events around the world including Geospatial World Forum, Where 2.0, MundoGeo Connect (Brazil), Middle East Spatial Geospatial Forum, India Geospatial Forum, Location Intelligence, Asia Geospatial Forum, and GITA events in US, Japan and Australia. Geoff received Speaker Excellence Awards at GITA 2007-2009.

View article by Geoff Zeiss

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*