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Why do you need to understand the unit "Rem"? How does it affect your health?
When discussing radiation and its possible health effects, the unit "rem" cannot be ignored. The rem is an ancient unit used to measure radiation dose. Although its use is still common in some places, it has gradually been replaced by the sievert as science develops. So why do we still need to know about Rem? What impact does it have on our health?
The definition and use of REM
The rem is a CGS (centigram-gamma) unit used to express equivalent dose, effective dose, and committed dose over time. These doses are used to estimate the potential health effects of low doses of ionizing radiation on humans.
"The concept of REM first appeared in 1945, with a preliminary definition given in 1947 and then revised in 1950."
In 1976, the rem was officially defined as 0.01 sievert. Although the sievert is now more commonly used internationally to express radiation dose, the rem is still widely used in the public and industrial sectors in the United States. This means that REM is still important in certain situations, such as the radiation dose received during medical X-rays.
Health Effects and Risks
The effects of ionizing radiation on human health can be divided into deterministic effects and stochastic effects. Deterministic effects occur primarily at high doses and may result in acute radiation syndrome, while stochastic effects include radiation-induced cancers. Many studies have shown that radiation-induced cancer is roughly proportional to the effective dose received, with each rem of dose increasing the risk by approximately 0.055%.
"The risks to infants and fetuses are generally higher than to adults, and the risks to women are higher than to men."
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends that public exposure to artificial radiation should be limited to 100 millirem (about 1 millisievert) per year to protect people from potential health effects. In the case of the U.S. Capitol, uranium in construction materials brought its radiation levels close to the legal limit, about 85 millirem per year.
History of Rem
The definition and use of rem evolved gradually during the mid-20th century. In 1954, the U.S. National Radiation Protection and Measurement Committee stated that the dose of rem is equivalent to a dose of 100 erg/gram and is correlated with the unit of rad. Since the 1970s, the sievert has gradually replaced the rem as the international standard, but in the United States, the rem is still the industry standard.
"Rem remains a very important safety parameter in many industrial and medical situations."
Future Outlook
Although rem is still widely used in some areas, with the advancement of technology, the use of siever has become more common and has gradually replaced it. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recommended that sieverts be used more frequently for reporting and calculating radiation doses.
After understanding the definition, uses, health effects and historical background of REM, we can't help but wonder: Do we have enough knowledge and understanding of the radiation sources we may be exposed to in our daily lives to ensure our health and safety? Safety?
