Re: rem vs. rad -Reply

[Charles Willis <CAW@nrc.gov>]

Otto, et al.

There is a potential for confusion here.  Rem can mean the dose in rad multiplied
by the radiation weighting factor or it can mean rad times radiation weighting factor
time tissue weighting factor.  Furthermore, the unit is the same whether you use
the tissue weighting factors from ICRP-26 or those from ICRP-60.  The tissue
weighting factors are based on (better, guessed-at considering) the ICRP's
stochastic detriment.  For any other end-point, they are even more wrong.

When interested in deterministic effects, clearly there is a need to recognize that
some radiations are more effective than others (per unit dose) but the radiation
weighting factors for deterministic effects certainly are different from those for
stochastic affects.  This was an interesting area of study when nuclear war was of
greater concern but it isn't popular now.

Charlie Willis
caw@nrc.gov