SRP7 (02)

Embargoed until 00.01 GMT Wednesday 23 October 2002

Assessing health risks of exposure to radiation

"There are many situations in which radionuclides might be released into the working or natural environment," explains Stather, "These can occur either as a result of controlled discharges or as a consequence of accidental releases; as might occur in laboratories, as a result of discharges from sites using radioactive materials or incidents involving nuclear reactors." He adds that the methods used for calculating radiation doses are also used for radionuclides that occur naturally in our environment.

According to Dr Stather, the ICRP is responsible for developing methods for allowing radiation doses to be assessed for workers or members of the public.  Previous work by the Committee had been concerned with exposures of infants, children and adults and was initiated after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident. Some of the most recently published work has involved the development of new methods for assessing doses to the developing embryo and fetus following intakes of radioactive materials by the mother, either during or before pregnancy.

A complementary report is presently being prepared that will allow estimates to be made of doses to the newborn child from radionuclides ingested by the mother and transferred to her milk. "In general, these recent studies have demonstrated that doses to offspring will be less than those to the mother," adds Stather. However, for a few radionuclides, doses to the child may be higher than to the mother. This Stather says, means that better advice on the protection of women who may be pregnant is now needed.

Stather also summarised the future work of ICRP on internal dosimetry.  Much of the programme will be concerned with improving methods for assessing exposures to radioactive materials in the workplace by further developing  methods for understanding the behaviour of radioactive materials in the body and  for interpreting monitoring data of people who may have been exposed. These techniques are needed for demonstrating compliance with regulations on exposure limits and for making decisions on the need for treatment after any accidental intakes.

Notes for editors
1. This release is based on Dr Stather's paper, 'The basis of internal dosimetry, with an emphasis on recent developments of dose estimates for the embryo and fetus' which will be presented at 10:10am on 23rd October 2002 at The Society for Radiological Protection's  one-day  meeting, 'Internal Dosimetry'  to be held at the British Library London.

2. Accredited journalists are welcome to free registration to attend this meeting. The Institute of Physics' Press Office is handling media arrangements for this meeting, please contact Dianne Stilwell at the Institute Tel: +44 (0)20 7470 4875, Fax: +44 (0)20 7470 4848, E-mail: dianne.stilwell@iop.org if you would like to attend. The meeting programme and further information can be found on the Society for Radiological Protection's Web page http://www.srp-uk.org/eventoct02.html

3. Further information on this paper is available from Dr Stather who is contactable on email John.Stather@nrpb.org

4. During the meeting itself please contact the Society's media representative, Pauline Powell. She will be available from 09.30 to 16.00 hours on Wednesday 23 October 2002. To contact her during that time, call the reception desk on tel: +44 (0)207 412 7050.

5. The Society for Radiological Protection was founded in 1963, the Society now has nearly 2000 members, including International members, and is the leading Scientific Society in the UK for all who are professionally concerned with safety aspects of uses of ionising and non-ionising radiation in education, central and local government, industry, medicine and research.

The Society has the following objectives :-

• to promote and advance the science of radiological protection and allied fields;
• to promote, advance and disseminate to the public advantage, knowledge of radiological protection and allied fields;
• to encourage, support, promote and advance education and learning in radiological protection and allied fields;
• to promote and encourage high scientific, educational, regulatory and professional standards in radiological protection and allied fields.

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