RE: REM ???

["Morris, William GS (RASO)" <morriswj@RASO.NAVY.MIL>]

>From a paper by Herb Parker originally presented at the 34th meeting of the

Radiological Society of North America, December 1948 "Tentative Dose Units

for Mixed Radiations" published in the June 1980 Health Physics magazine:



The rem is an abreviation of roentgen equivalent man or mammal.  



Herb's use of the word was discussing the dose in man as we use it now and

applied the same quality factors we now have.  He discusses the proper use

of the unit.  Very interesting.



William Morris, CHP



-----Original Message-----

From: Estabrooks, Bates (IHK) [mailto:estabrookshb@Y12.doe.gov]





Don't know if this got posted before, so I'll give it one more try.



		Radsafers,



		I recently read an article in the popular press where the

familiar (to us) acronym "REM" was spelled out as "Roentgen Equivalent

Mammal" (vs. "Roentgen Equivalent Man.")  I had never heard this term

before.



		Discussion of the more currently appropriate term "Sievert"

aside,  is "mammal" appropriate here?  It seems to me that since dose

equivalent has to do with the biological effects of a particular absorbed

dose, it would not be the same for all mammals across the board.  



 

		

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