Food is often irradiated with either x rays or electron beams to help prevent sp
ID: 1491644 • Letter: F
Question
Food is often irradiated with either x rays or electron beams to help prevent spoilage. A low dose of 5-75 kilorads (krad) helps to reduce and kill inactive parasites, a medium dose of 100-400 krad kills microorganisms and pathogens such as salmonella, and a high dose of 2300-5700 krad sterilizes food so that it can be stored without refrigeration.
A) A dose of 175 krad kills spoilage microorganisms in fish. If x rays are used, what would be the dose in Gy?
B) What would be the dose in Sv?
C) What would be the dose in rem?
D) How much energy would a 250-g portion of fish absorb?
E) If electrons of RBE 1.50 are used instead of x rays, what would be the dose in Gy?
F) What would be the dose in Sv?
G) What would be the dose in rem?
H) How much energy would a 250-g portion of fish absorb?
Thank you!
Explanation / Answer
For x rays RBE =1 and the equivalent dose equals the absorbed dose.
A)
175 krad =175 krem =1.75 kGy =1.75 kSv
Energy = (1.75×103 J/kg)(0.250 kg) = 4.37×102 J
E)
175 krad =1.75 kGy ; (1.50)(175 krad) = 262 krem = 2.62 kSv
The energy deposited would be(1.75×103 J/kg)(0.250 kg) = 4.37×102 J