Orders of magnitude (radiation) Orders of magnitude (radiation) Recognized effects of higher acute radiation doses are described in more detail in the article on radiation poisoning. Although the International System of Units (SI) defines the sievert (Sv) as the unit of radiation dose equivalent, chronic radiation levels and standards are still often given in units of millirems (mrem), where 1 mrem equals 1/1000 of a rem and 1 rem equals 0.01 Sv. Light radiation sickness begins at about 50–100 rad (0.5–1 gray (Gy), 0.5–1 Sv, 50–100 rem, 50,000–100,000 mrem). The following table includes some dosages for comparison purposes, using millisieverts (mSv) (one thousandth of
Radiation exposure Radiation exposure Radiation exposure is a measure of the ionization of air due to ionizing radiation from photons; that is, gamma rays and X-rays. It is defined as the electric charge freed by such radiation in a specified volume of air divided by the mass of that air. The SI unit of exposure is the coulomb per kilogram (C/kg), which has largely replaced the roentgen (R). One roentgen equals ; an exposure of one coulomb per kilogram is equivalent to 3876 roentgens. As a measure of radiation damage exposure has been superseded by the concept of absorbed dose which takes