Performance Task

18.

On the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, a helpful tool exists to allow you to determine your average annual radiation dose. Use the tool to determine whether the radiation level you have been exposed to is dangerous and to compare your radiation dosage to other radiative events.

Visit the webpage and answer the series of questions provided to determine the average annual radiation dosage that you receive.
Table 22.5 shows the immediate effects of a radiation dosage. Using the table, explain what you would experience if your yearly dosage of radiation was received all over the course of one day. Also, determine whether your dosage is considered a low, moderate, or high.
Using the information input into the webpage, what percentage of your dosage comes from natural sources? The average percentage of radiation from natural sources for an individual is around 85 percent.
Research radiation dosages for evacuees from events like the Chernobyl and Fukushima meltdowns. How does your annual radiation exposure rate compare to the net dosage for evacuees of each event. Use numbers to support your answer.
The U.S. Department of Labor limits the amount of radiation that a given worker may receive in a 12 month period.
1. Research the present maximum value and compare your annual exposure rate to that of a radiation worker. Use numbers to support your answer.
2. What types of work are likely to cause an increase in the radiation exposure of a particular worker?

Provide one question based upon the information gathered on the EPA website.