What does ALARA stand for?

• A. Always Limit And Reduce Absorbed
• B. As Low As Reasonably Achievable; minimize dose using time and distance
• C. As Low As Reasonably Achievable; minimize dose using time, distance, shielding, and administrative controls
• D. Adequate Level of Absolute Radiation Avoidance

Answer: (C)

ALARA stands for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. The idea is to keep radiation doses as low as possible while balancing practical factors like cost and practicality. In practice, this means reducing exposure through four main avenues: limit the time spent near the source, increase distance from the source (dose decreases with distance, roughly by the inverse square law), use shielding to attenuate the radiation, and apply administrative controls—work procedures, scheduling, and training—to further minimize exposure. These elements together define ALARA in real-world settings. Choices that misstate the acronym or omit one of these controls don’t capture the full ALARA approach.