High School

The NCRP recommends that the EDE due to work-related exposure not exceed the worker's age in years.

a. True
b. False

Answer :

Final answer:

The statement is false; the NCRP does not recommend that the Effective Dose Equivalent due to work-related exposure not exceed the worker's age in years. Instead, they suggest general limits like 20 to 50 mSv/year for occupational exposure depending on the country, with specific types of work involving radiation possibly leading to increased exposure. OSHA's legal standards for workplace exposure are called Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).

Explanation:

The statement that the NCRP recommends that the Effective Dose Equivalent (EDE) due to work-related exposure not exceed the worker's age in years is false. Instead, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) and other agencies like the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) suggest dose limits that are not based on a worker's age. For occupational exposure to ionizing radiation, the recommended limit is typically about 20 to 50 millisieverts (mSv) per year, with certain variations depending on the country's regulations.

Types of work that could result in an increase in radiation exposure include medical professions involving X-rays and nuclear medicine, nuclear power plant work, and industrial radiography. Researching departments dealing with radioactive materials or procedures may also result in heightened exposure levels.

As a point of comparison, the average annual background radiation exposure to the general public is approximately 3 mSv from natural sources. Occupational doses for workers in the nuclear industry and medical fields are generally kept well below the recommended limits through the use of protective measures and monitoring.

Knowledge Check: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) develops legal standards for workplace exposure, known as Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).