The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP Publication 103, Ann ICRP Vol. 37 No. 2-4 (2007).These revised Recommendations for a System of Radiological Protection formally replace the Commission’s previous, 1990, Recommendations; and update, consolidate, and develop the additional guidance on the control of exposure from radiation sources issued since 1990.
Thus, the present Recommendations update the radiation and tissue weighting factors in the quantities equivalent and effective dose and update the radiation detriment, based on the latest available scientific information of the biology and physics of radiation exposure. They maintain the Commission’s three fundamental principles of radiological protection, namely justification, optimisation, and the application of dose limits, clarifying how they apply to radiation sources delivering exposure and to individuals receiving exposure. The Recommendations evolve from the previous process-based protection approach using practices and interventions by moving to an approach based on the exposure situation. They recognise planned, emergency, and existing exposure situations, and apply the fundamental principles of justification and optimisation of protection to all of these situations. They maintain the Commission’s current individual dose limits for effective dose and equivalent dose from all regulated sources in planned exposure situations. They reinforce the principle of optimisation of protection, which should be applicable in a similar way to all exposure situations, subject to the following restrictions on individual doses and risks; dose and risk constraints for planned exposure situations, and reference levels for emergency and existing exposure situations. The Recommendations also include an approach for developing a framework to demonstrate radiological protection of the environment.THE AIMS AND SCOPE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS
The aims of the Recommendations
The basis and structure of the system of protection
The scope of the Recommendations
Exclusion and exemption
BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION
The induction of deterministic effects (harmful tissue reactions)
he induction of stochastic effects
The induction of diseases other than cancer
Radiation effects in the embryo and fetus
Judgements and uncertainties
QUANTITIES USED IN RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION
Considerations of health effects
Dose quantities
Assessment of radiation exposure
Uncertainties and judgements
THE SYSTEM OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF HUMANS
The definition of a source
Types of exposure situations
Categories of exposure
The identification of the exposed individuals
Levels of radiological protection
The principles of radiological protection
Justification
Optimisation of protection
Dose constraints and reference levels
Dose limits
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Planned exposure situations
Emergency exposure situations
Existing exposure situations
Protection of the embryo/fetus in emergency and existing exposure situation.
Comparison of radiological protection criteria
Practical implementation
MEDICAL EXPOSURE OF PATIENTS, COMFORTERS AND CARERS, AND VOLUNTEERS in BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Justification for medical procedures
Optimisation of protection in medical exposures
Effective dose in medical exposure
Exposure of patients who are pregnant
Accident prevention in external beam therapy and brachytherapy
Protection of carers and comforters of patients treated with radionuclides
Volunteers for biomedical research
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
The objectives of radiological protection of the environment
Reference Animals and Plants
ANNEX A. BIOLOGICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ON HEALTH RISKS ATTRIBUTABLE TO IONISING RADIATION
ANNEX B. QUANTITIES USED IN RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION
