What is the occupational TEDE dose limit?

• A. 2 rem/yr
• B. 5 rem/yr
• C. 15 rem/yr
• D. 50 rem/yr

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding the annual limit on a worker’s whole-body radiation dose. TEDE (Total Effective Dose Equivalent) combines all radiation received externally plus any internal contamination, measured as the effective dose to the whole body. For workers, the regulatory limit is five rem per year (50 millisievert). This is the highest total dose a radiation worker should receive in a year to keep long-term health risks in check while allowing necessary work.

That’s why five rem per year is the best answer. If a worker were to accumulate four rem externally and one rem internally in a year, they would be at the limit. The other numbers pertain to different limits: fifteen rem per year is typically the occupational limit for the lens of the eye, and fifty rem per year is a limit for skin, hands, or feet. A value like two rem per year doesn’t align with the standard occupational TEDE limit.