Kai,
Limits for protecting valuable property (10 rem) and lifesaving/protecting large populations (25 rem) were established in
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Manual of Protective Action Guides and Protective Actions for Nuclear Incidents",
EPA-400-R-92-001, May 1992.
A brief search of the EPA's site did not turn up an online version, but here's a starting place for more info:
http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/rert/pags.htm
The emergency doses and their potential health impacts are discussed in NRC Regulatory Guide 8.29, which can be found at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/occupational-health/active/8-29/08-029.pdf
Regards,
Ben
ben.morgan@pgnmail.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Kai Kaletsch [mailto:info@eic.nu]
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 9:05 AM
To: Ted Rockwell
Cc: RadSafe
Subject: Dose limits for emergency workers (was Dirty Bomb)
Ted and all,
I am not familiar with the 25 rem guidance. (My bg is in mining and acute
exposures are not usually an issue.) Do you have a reference? Is this value
based on some international guidance or does it apply to US only? Does this
apply to life and death situations only, or are significant property loss
situations included?
Is there a (short) justification for this level in terms of health effects?
(I'm writing a FAQ for a wristwatch + DRD combination and don't
know at what level people should set the cumulative dose alarm. [see
http://members.shaw.ca/GammaWatch/FAQ.htm second last question] )
Thanks,
Kai