Would 1000 CPM and 5.922 uSv/h be a high reading from a geiger counter?

 

 

Would 1000 CPM and 5.922 uSv/h be a high reading from a geiger counter?

Yes, it's high. About 1000 uSv/YEAR is considered to be the upper limit for the general public. Since your value is per HOUR, your value is about 50x higher than the recommended exposure limit.

 

Would 1000 CPM and 5.922 uSv/h be a high reading from a geiger counter?

In this an another thread you refer to a CPM measurement as though it has any absolute meaning. It doesn't.

It is merely how many detection events occur per minute and is a function not only of how much radioactivity there is, but also on the design of a specific meter. If the sampling volume is larger, then there will be more counts per unit time for the same level of radiation compared to a smaller meter. Meters can be calibrated so that their CPM readings do correlate to dose information.

 

In this an another thread you refer to a CPM measurement as though it has any absolute meaning. It doesn't.

It is merely how many detection events occur per minute and is a function not only of how much radioactivity there is, but also on the design of a specific meter. If the sampling volume is larger, then there will be more counts per unit time for the same level of radiation compared to a smaller meter. Meters can be calibrated so that their CPM readings do correlate to dose information.

You can also check with the users manual. Some counters (most counters?) have a maximum count rate that should not be exceeded or you may be missing counts as two decay events happen so close together that the meter cannot resolve two from one. If no maximum is listed, check for the "dead time" typically in the 50 to 250 microsecond range. This is the amount of time after each count that the Geiger counter will miss the next count if a decay occurs in that time.