Effective dose - Definition

Effective dose is a measure used in radiation protection to estimate the risk resulting from an exposure of radiation. The effective dose (H) to an individual is found by calculating a weighted average of the equivalent dose (E) to different body tissues, with the weighting factors (W) designed to reflect the different radiosensitivities of the tissues:

H = ∑_i E_i W_i

Effective dose is used as a measure of the likelihood of stochastic effects of radiation exposure: carcinogenesis and hereditary effects. It is not intended as a measure for acute or threshold effects of radiation exposure such as erythema, radiation sickness or death.