Forty years on: how radiological protection has evolved internationally.
In the 40 years since the Society for Radiological Protection (SRP) was founded, the international scene has changed considerably. The United Nations bodies primarily involved, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the International Atomic Energy Agency, have evolved from fledgling organisations to indispensable major resources. A similar development characterises regional entities such as Euratom and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), once interested in occupational health in the practice of medicine only, has shifted its emphasis towards protection of members of the public and of patients exposed to ionising radiations and is currently looking at protection of non-human species. The International Radiation Protection Association, the federation that is now the 'mother society' of the SRP, had not even been launched formally when the SRP started. At that time, non-ionising radiation was on nobody's mind, and the forerunner of today's International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) was not formed until 1977. Basically, the developments during this period must be described as a great success story. Average occupational exposures to ionising radiation have decreased markedly, the number of accidents is small, almost all countries now regulate exposures roughly in line with ICRP and ICNIRP recommendations, and quite a large number of countries also have reasonable regulatory infrastructures. An area where problems appear to be on the increase, perhaps in part because of increasing awareness, concerns 'orphan sources' and lack of source security. This may indicate a need for closer attention to security outside the nuclear fuel cycle, e.g. in hospitals and non-nuclear industry.
Sowby
David
D
International Commission on Radiological Protection, SE-171 16 Stockholm, Sweden.
Valentin
Jack
J
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history* / Q000592:standards; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000266:history*