What is the annual occupational dose limit for skin and extremities?

• A. 50 mSv (5 rem)
• B. 150 mSv (15 rem)
• C. 500 mSv (50 rem)
• D. 1000 mSv (100 rem)

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that dose limits vary by tissue because different parts of the body have different sensitivities and risks. For occupational exposure, skin and extremities are allowed a higher annual dose than the whole body, since localized exposure there is less likely to cause whole-body harm. The established annual limit for skin and extremities is 500 mSv per year, which is 50 rem. This reflects that these tissues can tolerate more dose annually without affecting overall health. The other numbers don’t fit: 50 mSv is the limit for the whole body (effective dose), while 150 mSv and 1000 mSv are not the standard annual limits for skin and extremities.