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Radiation Dose (Sievert) Calculator

Work out radiation dose (sievert) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Radiation Dose (Sievert) Calculator

Absorbed dose in gray measures energy deposited; equivalent dose in sievert weights it by how damaging the radiation is. Alpha particles carry a factor of 20 because they deposit energy densely. Multiplying again by the tissue weighting factor gives the effective dose - 2 mGy of gamma to the lung (wT = 0.12) is 0.24 mSv effective.

Formulas

Equivalent dose

H = D x wR

Effective dose

E = H x wT

Worked example

With the default values below, Radiation Dose (Sievert) Calculator returns Equivalent Dose of 2.0000. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Absorbed doseminimum 0 mGy
2 mGy
Radiation typeone of X-rays, gamma or beta (wR = 1), Protons (wR = 2), Neutrons, thermal (wR = 5), Fast neutrons (wR = 10), Alpha particles (wR = 20)
X-rays, gamma or beta (wR = 1)
Tissue weighting factoraccepts 0–1
0.12

Results

Equivalent Dose
2.0000 mSv
Effective Dose For That Tissue
0.2400 mSv
Radiation Weighting Factor
1
Share Of Annual Natural Background
0.1000

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Equivalent dose
  3. 3Effective dose
  4. 4Equivalent Dose= 2.0000 mSv
  5. 5Effective Dose For That Tissue= 0.2400 mSv
  6. 6Radiation Weighting Factor= 1
  7. 7Share Of Annual Natural Background= 0.1000

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a typical annual background dose?

About 2.4 mSv worldwide from cosmic rays, radon and natural radioactivity, though radon-prone areas can be several times higher.

Why is alpha weighted twenty times higher?

Because it deposits its energy over a few tens of microns, causing dense clusters of DNA damage that are far harder to repair.

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