Radiation Dose Calculator

We live in a radioactive world - humans always have. Radiation is part of our natural environment. We are exposed to radiation from materials in the earth itself, from naturally occurring radon in the air, from outer space, and from inside our own bodies (as a result of the food and water we consume). This radiation is measured in units called millirems (mrems).

The average dose per person from all sources is about 620 mrems per year. It is not uncommon, however, for any of us to receive less or more than that in a given year (largely due to medical procedures we may undergo). International Standards allow exposure to as much as 5,000 mrems a year for those who work with and around radioactive material.

The Interactive Dose Calculator appears below, but you can also download a printable version of radiation dose chart.

Common Sources of Radiation

All figures for radiation exposure are average values.

Where You Live	Annual Dose
Cosmic Radiation (from outer space) Exposure depends on your elevation (how much air is above you to block radiation). Amounts listed are per year. Elevations: Atlanta 1050; Chicago 595; Dallas 436; Denver 5280; Las Vegas 2000; Minneapolis 815; Pittsburg 1200; St. Louis 455; Salt Lake City 4400; Spokane 1890. USGS GNIS Search.	0 mrem
Terrestrial (from the ground) I live in a state that borders the Gulf or Atlantic coasts (15 mrem) I live in the Colorado Plateau area (75 mrem) I live elsewhere in the continental U.S. (35 mrem)	0 mrem
House Construction I live in a stone, adobe, brick, or concrete building (7 mrem)	0 mrem
Power Plants I live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant (0.01 mrem) I live within 50 miles of a coal-fired power plant (0.03 mrem)	0 mrem

Food, Water, and Air	Annual Dose
Internal Radiation * From food (Carbon-14 and Potassium-40) and from water (radon dissolved in water)	0 mrem
Internal Radiation * From air (radon)	0 mrem

Food, Water, and Air

Annual Dose

Internal Radiation *

From food (Carbon-14 and Potassium-40) and from water (radon dissolved in water)

0 mrem

Internal Radiation *

From air (radon)

0 mrem

How You Live	Annual Dose
Jet Plane Hours Hours (0.5 mrem per hour in the air)	0 mrem
I have porcelain crowns or false teeth (0.07 mrem) **	0 mrem
I've gone past luggage x-ray inspection at the airport (0.002 mrem)	0 mrem
I view a TV or computer screen which uses CRT technology (1 mrem) †	0 mrem
I smoke 1/2 pack of cigarettes every day of the year (18 mrem)	0 mrem
I have a smoke detector (0.008 mrem)	0 mrem

Medical Tests	Annual Dose
Medical Diagnostic Tests ‡ Number of millirems are per procedure and are average values. Actual numbers may vary. Enter the number of procedures per year.
X-Ray - Chest (10 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Mammography (40 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Skull (10 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Cervical Spine (20 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Lumbar Spine (150 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Upper GI (600 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Abdomen (kidney/bladder) (70 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Barium Enema (800 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Pelvis (60 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Hip (70 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Dental Bitewing/Image (0.5 mrem each)	0 mrem
X-Ray - Extremity (hand/foot) (0.1 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Head (200 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Chest (700 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Abdomen (800 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Pelvis (600 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Extremity (10 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Angiography (heart) (1200 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Angiography (head) (1000 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Spine (600 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Whole Body (1274 mrem each)	0 mrem
CT Scans - Cardiac (300 mrem each)	0 mrem

Your Estimated Annual Radiation Dose:

0 mrem

* Average values.

** Some of the radiation sources listed in this chart result in an exposure to only one part of the body. For example, false teeth and crowns result in a radiation dose to the mouth. The annual dose numbers given here represent the "effective dose" to the whole body.

† The value is less than 1, but adding a value of 1 would be reasonable.

‡ Exposures for medical tests vary depending upon equipment and the patient. The doses listed are an average for an actual exposure.

How is radiation measured? The units used to measure radiation are the rem and the millirem (1/1,000th of a rem). The international unit for measuring radiation exposure is the sievert (Sv), and 1 Sv = 100 rems. Therefore, to convert from the mrem values above to mSv (millisievert), divide the value by 100.

Primary sources for this information are National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Reports: #92 Public Radiation Exposure from Nuclear Power Generation in the United States (1987); #93 Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States (1987); #94 Exposure of the Population in the United States and Canada from Natural Background Radiation (1987); #95 Radiation Exposure of the U.S. population from Consumer Products and Miscellaneous Sources, (1987); #100 Exposure of the U.S. Population from Diagnostic Medical Radiation (1989); and #160 Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States (2009).