Counts per minute dose reading. This modifies the tube characteristic so each count resulting from a particular radiation type is equivalent to a specific quantity of deposited dose. More can be found on radiation dose and dose rate at absorbed dose and equivalent dose. Disintegrations per minute (dpm) and disintegrations per second (dps) are measures of the activity of the source of radioactivity. The SI unit of radioactivity, the becquerel (Bq), is equivalent to one disintegration per second. This unit should not be confused with cps, which is the number of counts received by an instrument from the source. One dps (one dpm)
Comparison of Chernobyl and other radioactivity releases to the inverse square law the dose suffered by members of the general public tends to be very small. Also, very little environmental contamination normally occurs as a result of these accidents. For instance, at Sarov the radioactivity remained confined to within the actinide metal objects which were part of the experimental system, according to the IAEA report (2001). Even the SL-1 accident (meltdown of experimental nuclear reactor in Idaho, 1961) failed to release much radioactivity outside the building in which it occurred. Comparison of Chernobyl and other radioactivity releases This article compares the radioactivity release and decay from the