[ RadSafe ] NBC News story on airport scanner (25 mrem dose)

[Perle, Sandy]

Thanks Rick,

I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I've learned a lot. I just wish that a different value were used for the news piece, one with a higher dose value, to demonstrate that the estimated dose 0 0.005 mrem is not only insignificant, and it extremely small compared to what a declared pregnant female is allowed to receive. That demonstrates if the female can be exposed to 500 mrem (and the fetus), then 0.005 mrem is ridiculously low.

Regards,

Sandy

-----------------------------------
Sander C. Perle
President
Mirion Technologies
Dosimetry Services Division
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 -----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Hansen, Richard
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 10:18 AM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] NBC News story on airport scanner (25 mrem dose)

Sandy,

<snip> Estimated 0.005 mrem per scan and then, the government recommends
25 mrem from a single source per year is 25 mrem! What is this 25 mrem
value? What are they talking about? <end snip>

There is an ANSI/HPS standard for security screening systems that use
x-rays and are designed to be used on people. This standard states
maximum dose per scan, the maximum dose to the operators, and the
minimum information to be provided to the persons being scanned.

ANSI/HPS N43.17-2002
American National Standard Radiation Safety For Personnel Security
Screening Systems Using X-rays

Under maximum operating parameters, the effective dose shall not exceed
0.10 microsievert (10 microrem) per scan of the subject's front.

The facility shall be operated to ensure that no individual scanned
receives from the facility an effective dose in excess of 0.25
millisievert (25 millirem) in any twelve-month period.

Best regards,
Rick Hansen
Senior Scientist
Counter Terrorism Operations Support Program
National Security Technologies, LLC, for the U.S. Dept of Energy
hansenrg at nv.doe.gov
www.ctosnnsa.org


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