Current Practices in the Utilization of
SI Units for Radiation Measurements
in Publications
Marc S. Mendonca, Judy E. Fye and Elizabeth C. Whipple
Departments of Radiation Oncology, Medical and
Molecular Genetics, and Knowledge Informatics and
Training
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN USA.
The end of the rad? British Journal of Radiology 45: 715-716 (1972)
~ 1975 ICRU
Recommendation
for use of SI unit
“gray” (Gy)
(10 year phase in)
The last two articles we could find in Radiation Research that utilized the non SI
radiation dose unit “rads” were 1986 and 1987.
The last time the “Journal of Radiation Research (Japan)” published an article
using “Rads” was 1991 (vol. 32, 395-403)
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 2008 Vol. 136.5, p.1167–1171
(Elsevier) published an article using “Rads”
“The mean patient age was 56.1 ± 13.8 years, and 24% were female. All patients
received between 3000 and 6000 rads in fractionated doses.”
JTCS 2008
“rads”
J. Rad. Res.1991
“rads”
Rad. Res.
1986 & 87
“rads”
The last two articles we could find in Radiation Research that utilized the non SI
radiation dose unit “rad” were 1986 and 1987
The last two articles we could find in Radiation Research that utilized the non SI
radiation dose unit “rad” were 1986 and 1987
The last two articles we could find in Radiation Research that utilized the non SI
radiation dose unit “rad” were 1986 and 1987
Data on the relative speed of adopting the new SI radiation dose units in radiation
science publications suggests that DESPITE generational differences in training of
scientists, the slow process of updating radiation science textbooks, and the necessity
of referencing older source literature, the adoption of SI radiation dose standards
happened over about a ten year period. There remains however, concern among
individuals in the radiation science disciplines that SI radiation dose units still, to this
day, cause confusion and/or misunderstanding among experts in the field as well as in
communications with the public.