What is the annual dose limit for skin exposure?

• A. 50 rem/yr
• B. 40 rem/yr
• C. 15 rem/yr
• D. 5 rem/yr

Answer: (A)

This tests how regulatory dose limits are set for different tissues. For skin exposure, a separate annual limit is established to prevent local skin damage while recognizing that the skin can tolerate a higher dose than the whole body. The annual limit for skin exposure is 50 rem per year (which is 0.5 sievert per year).

Context helps: the 50 rem/yr skin limit is higher than the whole-body limit (5 rem/yr) because it protects the entire body from systemic effects while accounting for potential localized effects on the skin. The 15 rem/yr figure is the limit for the lens of the eye, not skin, and the 5 rem/yr limit applies to the whole body. The 40 rem/yr option isn’t the standard regulatory skin limit.