Which statement about ALARA is true?

Which statement about ALARA is true?

• A. ALARA requires eliminating all exposure regardless of feasibility.
• B. ALARA focuses on reducing exposure by minimizing time, maximizing distance, and using shielding.
• C. ALARA applies only to chemical exposures.
• D. ALARA means ignoring regulatory limits.

Answer: (B)

ALARA means keeping radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable by using a combination of time, distance, and shielding to minimize dose. The idea is to perform tasks in a way that reduces exposure as much as practical, balancing safety with feasibility and cost, so some exposure may remain but is kept to the minimum possible. In practice, this means planning work to spend less time near sources, maximizing distance from the source, and using appropriate shielding and containment. It’s a radiation protection concept, not a general rule for chemical exposures, and it works in tandem with regulatory dose limits rather than ignoring them.

ALARA means keeping radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable by using a combination of time, distance, and shielding to minimize dose. The idea is to perform tasks in a way that reduces exposure as much as practical, balancing safety with feasibility and cost, so some exposure may remain but is kept to the minimum possible. In practice, this means planning work to spend less time near sources, maximizing distance from the source, and using appropriate shielding and containment. It’s a radiation protection concept, not a general rule for chemical exposures, and it works in tandem with regulatory dose limits rather than ignoring them.