[net.politics] radiation chart

bitmap@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (03/07/84)

From March, 1984 Science Digest (without permission)

ESTIMATE YOUR ANNUAL EXPOSURE TO RADIATION             Annual Dose
                                                           (mrem)

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*Where You Live*

Location: Cosmic radiation at sea level.......................26

For your elevation (in feet)--add this number of mrem

   1000-2   4000-15   7000-40
   2000-5   5000-21   8000-53
   3000-9   6000-29   9000-70.................................__

From the ground (dirt): U.S. average..........................26
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*What You Eat, Drink, and Breathe*

Food
Water          U.S. average...................................24
Air

Weapons-test fallout...........................................4
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*How You Live*

X-ray and radiopharmaceutical diagnosis
  Number of chest X-rays___x10................................__
  Number of lower gastrointestinal tract X-rays____x500.......__
  Number of radiopharmaceutical exams___x300..................__
    (average dose to U.S. population = 92 mrem)

Jet plane travel: for each 2500 miles add 1 mrem..............__

TV viewing: For each hour per day___x0.15.....................__
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*How Close Do You Live to a Nuclear Plant*

At site boundary: ave. number of hours per day___x0.2.........__
One mile away: ave. number of hours per day___x0.02...........__
Five miles away: ave. number of hours per day___x0.002........__
Over 5 miles away.......................None..........
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                        My annual dose in mrem=              ___

Compare your annual dose to the U.S. annual average of 180 mrems

bitmap@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (03/15/84)

(Here's another response, from jlg@lanl-a):

You left out proximity to coal powered plants and other industries
that burn fossil fuels.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently
was asked to test for radiation around such plants and thier findings
were that if these plants had been nuclear they would have to be shut
down.  Fossil fuels (especially coal) contains trace ammounts of radio-
active materials which are part of the effluent from the plants.