Some numbers to keep in mind (where possible, numbers were verified against multiple sources: IAEA, NYT, Ibaraki prefecture radiation monitoring stations south of Fukushima):radiation dose unit conversion: 1 rem = 10000 Sv,
1. Maximum dose/year for US rad worker: 5 rem ...
2. Background radiation dose/year in US: 0.500 rem (Denver, CO: 1 rem) ...
3. Highest measured dose rate anywhere in Ibaraki: 0.00025 rem/hour (Tuesday morning) ...
4. Highest reported dose rate at site boundary: 0.1 rem/hour ...
5. Highest reported dose rate on reactor site: 40 rem/hour for several hours ...
6. Radiation dose rate at Chernobyl on reactor site in days after explosion: 10 to 5000 rem/hour (not considering dose-on-contact of ejected reactor components) ...
7. Average cumulative radiation dose for Chernobyl first responders, resulting in up to 300 acute radiation deaths: 500 000 rem ...
Some newspapers keep using mSv and mrem interchangeably, never mind the factor 100 difference.