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# Personal Annual Radiation Dose Calculator

We live in a radioactive world, and radiation has always been all around us as a part of our natural environment. The unit used in measuring our radiation dose is the millirem (mrem). The annual average dose per person from all natural and man-made sources is about 620 mrems. Consequently, to protect health and safety, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has established standards that allow exposures of up to 5,000 mrem per year for those who work with and around radioactive material, and 100 mrem per year for members of the public (in addition to the radiation we receive from natural background sources).

Use this page to calculate your personal annual average dose.*

## Where You Live

          - Cosmic radiation (from outer space) at sea level (26 mrem) 
          - Select your elevation from sea level (in feet)  up to 1000 ft. (2 mrem)1,000-2,000 ft. (5 mrem)2,000-4,000 ft. (9 mrem)4,000-5,000 ft. (21 mrem)5,000-6,000 ft. (29 mrem)6,000-7,000 ft. (40 mrem)7,000-8,000 ft. (53 mrem)8,000-9,000 ft. (70 mrem)  See also the  USGS Elevations of the 50 Largest U.S. Cities
          - Select your area of residence (for terrestrial radiation from the ground)  a state bordering the Gulf or Pacific Coast (23 mrem)the Colorado Plateau area (around Denver) (90 mrem)anywhere else in the U.S. (46 mrem)
          -  Select if you live in a stone, brick, or concrete building   (7 mrem)

## What You Eat, Drink, and Breathe

          - Radiation in your body (240 mrem)**	             - From food and water (40 mrem)  
            - From radon in the air (200 mrem) 

## Other Sources

          - Weapons test fallout (1 mrem)***
          - Miles of travel by jet plane annually:  none1,000 miles (1 mrem)2,000 miles (2 mrem)3,000 miles (3 mrem)4,000 miles (4 mrem)5,000 miles (5 mrem)6,000 miles (6 mrem)7,000 miles (7 mrem)8,000 miles (8 mrem)9,000 miles (9 mrem)10,000 miles (10 mrem)11,000 miles (11 mrem)12,000 miles (12 mrem)13,000 miles (13 mrem)14,000 miles (14 mrem)15,000 miles (15 mrem)16,000 miles (16 mrem)17,000 miles (17 mrem)18,000 miles (18 mrem)19,000 miles (19 mrem)20,000 miles (20 mrem)21,000 miles (21 mrem)22,000 miles (22 mrem)23,000 miles (23 mrem)24,000 miles (24 mrem)25,000 miles (25 mrem)26,000 miles (26 mrem)27,000 miles (27 mrem)28,000 miles (28 mrem)29,000 miles (29 mrem)30,000 miles (30 mrem)31,000 miles (31 mrem)32,000 miles (32 mrem)33,000 miles (33 mrem)34,000 miles (34 mrem)35,000 miles (35 mrem)36,000 miles (36 mrem)37,000 miles (37 mrem)38,000 miles (38 mrem)39,000 miles (39 mrem)40,000 miles (40 mrem)41,000 miles (41 mrem)42,000 miles (42 mrem)43,000 miles (43 mrem)44,000 miles (44 mrem)45,000 miles (45 mrem)46,000 miles (46 mrem)47,000 miles (47 mrem)48,000 miles (48 mrem)49,000 miles (49 mrem)50,000 miles (50 mrem)60,000 miles (60 mrem)70,000 miles (70 mrem)80,000 miles (80 mrem)90,000 miles (90 mrem)100,000 miles (100 mrem)

**Select from the following if you . . .**
          -  Have porcelain crowns or false teeth (0.07 mrem) 
          -  Use gas lantern mantles when camping (0.003 mrem) 
          -  Wear a luminous wristwatch (LCD) (0.006 mrem) 
          -  Use luggage inspection at airports (using typical x-ray machine) (0.002 mrem) 
          -  Watch TV (1 mrem)   ***
          -  Use a video display terminal (1 mrem)   ***
          -  Have a smoke detector (0.008 mrem) 
          -  Wear a plutonium-powered cardiac pacemaker (100 mrem) 
          -  Have had diagnostic x-rays (e.g., upper and lower gastrointestinal, chest) (40 mrem)** 
          -  Have had nuclear medical procedures (e.g., thyroid scans) (14 mrem)** 
          -  Live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant (pressurized water reactor) (0.0009 mrem) 
          -  Live within 50 miles of a coal-fired electrical utility plant (0.03 mrem) 

*The reduction in life expectancy from a dose of 1 mrem is about 1.2 minutes. This is equivalent to the reduction in life expectancy from crossing the street three times, taking three puffs on a cigarette, or consuming 10 extra calories (for a person who is overweight).

**This is the annual dose average.

***The value is actually less than 1.

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

#### Personal Annual Radiation Dose Calculation

**Your Total Dose:  mrem**

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, May 13, 2021

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, May 13, 2021