An occupational health department reviews radiation exposure risks for various diagnostic procedures. The table below outlines the average effective radiation dose in millisieverts (mSv) for two different procedures:
| Diagnostic procedure | Average effective dose (mSv) |
|---|---|
| Digital mammogram | 0.4 |
| FDG PET-CT scan (chest/abdomen) | 14.0 |
The excess lifetime risk of inducing a secondary cancer is estimated to be approximately 1 in 18,000 per mSv of effective dose received.
Compare the risk of developing a radiation-induced cancer from a single FDG PET-CT scan with the risk from a single digital mammogram. Support your comparison with appropriate calculations.
16 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation, covering 4.3.1 Background radiation, 4.3.2 Different half-lives of radioactive isotopes, and 4.3.3 Uses of nuclear radiation. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.