Sievert

For other uses, see Sievert (disambiguation).

sievert
Display of background radiation in a hotel at Naraha, Japan, showing dose rate in microsieverts per hour, five years after the Fukushima disaster
General information
Unit systemSI
Unit ofstochastic health effect of ionizing radiation (Equivalent dose)
SymbolSv
Named afterRolf Maximilian Sievert
Conversions
1 Sv in ...... is equal to ...
   SI base units   m2⋅s−2
   Sv indicates absorbed dose modified by weighting factors.   J⋅kg−1
   CGS units (non-SI)   100 rem

The sievert (symbol: Sv[note 1]) is a unit in the International System of Units (SI) intended to represent the stochastic health risk of ionizing radiation, which is defined as the probability of causing radiation-induced cancer and genetic damage. The sievert is important in dosimetry and radiation protection. It is named after Rolf Maximilian Sievert, a Swedish medical physicist renowned for work on radiation dose measurement and research into the biological effects of radiation.

The sievert is used for radiation dose quantities such as equivalent dose and effective dose, which represent the risk of external radiation from sources outside the body, and committed dose, which represents the risk of internal irradiation due to inhaled or ingested radioactive substances. According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), one sievert results in a 5.5% probability of eventually developing fatal cancer based on the disputed linear no-threshold model of ionizing radiation exposure.[1][2]

To calculate the value of stochastic health risk in sieverts, the physical quantity absorbed dose is converted into equivalent dose and effective dose by applying factors for radiation type and biological context, published by the ICRP and the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU). One sievert equals 100 rem, which is an older, CGS radiation unit.

Conventionally, deterministic health effects due to acute tissue damage that is certain to happen, produced by high dose rates of radiation, are compared to the physical quantity absorbed dose measured by the unit gray (Gy).[3]


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ICRP103 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Based on the linear no-threshold model, the ICRP says, "In the low dose range, below about 100 mSv, it is scientifically plausible to assume that the incidence of cancer or heritable effects will rise in direct proportion to an increase in the equivalent dose in the relevant organs and tissues." ICRP publication 103 paragraph 64.
  3. ^ ICRP report 103 para 104 and 105.