Sievert

Sievert (symbol: Sv) is a derived unit of ionizing radiation dose in the International System of Units (SI) and is a measure of the health effect of low levels of ionizing radiation on the human body. The sievert is of fundamental importance in dosimetry and radiation protection, and is named after Rolf Maximilian Sievert, a Swedish medical physicist renowned for work on radiation dosage measurement and research into the biological effects of radiation.

Definition

Quantities that are measured in sieverts are intended to represent the stochastic health risk, which for radiation dose assessment is defined as the probability of cancer induction and genetic damage. One sievert carries with it a 5.5% chance of eventually developing cancer based on the linear no-threshold model (LNT).

Usage

The sievert is used for radiation dose quantities such as equivalent dose, effective dose, and committed dose. It is used to quantify the risk of radiation-induced health effects from low levels of ionizing radiation to the human body, which is not to be confused with the physical quantity absorbed dose measured by the unit gray.

Derivatives

Special names are given to derived units of the sievert, which are typically used in the measurement of dose equivalent. These include the millisievert (mSv), which is one thousandth of a sievert, and the microsievert (μSv), which is one millionth of a sievert.

See also

• Becquerel
• Gray (unit)
• Radiation poisoning
• Radiation therapy
• Rad (unit)
• Roentgen (unit)

References

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