committed dose

The committed dose, or dose commitment, refers to the radiation dose that will accumulate over a specific period, typically 50 years, from exposure to a radiation source. Ionizing radiation, which includes electromagnetic waves like X-rays and gamma rays, as well as subatomic particles, can free electrons from atoms, causing ionization. This ionization disrupts molecular bonds and can damage cells and genetic material in living organisms, potentially leading to cancer.12

Units used to measure ionizing radiation include the roentgen (R), gray (Gy), and rad for absorbed dose, and the sievert (Sv) and rem for dose equivalent, which accounts for the relative biologic effectiveness of different types of radiation. For expressing collective dose to a population, person-Sv and person-rem are used. The becquerel (Bq) and curie (Ci) measure radioactivity.1