CAMRT Radiography Practice Exam

What is the NCRP recommended cumulative occupational dose limit?

1. Age x 5 mSv

2. Age x 10 mSv

3. Age x 15 mSv

4. Age x 20 mSv

The correct answer is: Age x 10 mSv

The NCRP (National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements) recommends a cumulative occupational dose limit for radiation exposure that is calculated based on an individual's age. Specifically, this limit is determined as age multiplied by 10 mSv. Therefore, for someone who is 30 years old, the recommended cumulative limit would be 300 mSv (30 years x 10 mSv). This guideline is in place to help protect workers in radiation-related fields from the risks associated with long-term exposure to ionizing radiation. The rationale behind using age as a multiplicative factor for the dose limits aligns with the understanding that the potential effects of radiation exposure can accumulate over an individual's lifetime. This system provides a more personalized and safer limit as it directly correlates the exposure limit with a person’s age and potential years of work remaining in a field that could expose them to radiation. In contrast, the other options (age x 5 mSv, age x 15 mSv, and age x 20 mSv) do not align with the NCRP's guidelines and would imply either a lower or higher accumulation of allowable radiation exposure than what is recommended for protecting occupational safety in radiology.