Radiation weighting factors

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The probability of stochastic radiation effects depends not only on the absorbed dose, but also on the type and energy of the radiation causing the dose. This is considered by weighting the absorbed dose with a factor related to the radiation quality. In the past this factor was known as the quality factor by the International Radiological Protection Commission - and still today in the German Radiological Protection Ordinance. For photon and electron radiation, the radiation weighting factor has the value 1 independently of the energy of the radiation and for alpha radiation the value 20. For neutron radiation, the value is energy-dependent and amounts to 5 to 20.

Radiation type and energy	Radiation weighting factor WR
Photons, all energies	1
Electrons, myons, all energies	1
Neutrons < 10 keV 10 keV to 100 keV > 100 keV to 2 MeV > 2 MeV to 20 MeV > 20 MeV	5 10 20 10 5
Protons > 2 MeV	5
Alpha particles, fission fragments, heavy nuclei	20

Radiation weighting factor W_R in accordance with Euratom basic standards

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