Final answer:
The maximum safe dosage of ionizing radiation for the human body is low doses of 0.1 Sv or less, with higher doses leading to severe health risks. Dosages are measured in sieverts, and worldwide average exposure from natural sources is about 3 mSv per year.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maximum safe dosage of ionizing radiation for a human body is considered to be low doses of 0.1 Sv or less, whereas doses between 0.1 to 1 Sv are moderate, and those over 1 Sv are high doses. Ionizing radiation dosages are measured in sieverts (Sv), and doses above a certain level can lead to acute and long-term health effects such as cancer and genetic damage. Radiation protection strategies include minimizing exposure time, increasing distance from the source, and using shielding.
For context, the worldwide average exposure from natural sources is about 3 mSv per year. Higher doses, such as 600 rem (or 6 Sv), are invariably fatal. To put it in perspective, if a person weighing 50.0 kg absorbs 1.00 J of radiation over their entire body, their whole-body radiation dose is 0.0200 J/kg, which converts to 2.00 rad, an amount that can potentially cause cell damage depending on various factors like radiation type and tissue involved.