ABSTRACT
Some 40 years ago, in May 1970, the Radiological Protection Bill was passed by the parliament of the United Kingdom. This legislation created the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). It lasted 35 years until absorbed by the Health Protection Agency in 2005. During that period, the NRPB discharged its basic duty of protecting the people from radiation hazards.
Subject(s)
Government Agencies/history , Radiation Protection/history , England , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Radiation Monitoring/historyABSTRACT
The recent recommendation for limiting the exposure of the public to natural sources of radiation is one of the more important statements of principle by the International Commission on Radiological Protection in recent years. The evolution of the recommendations is traced, the exposition of the recommendations is reviewed, and the execution of the recommendations is explored.
Subject(s)
Environmental Exposure , Radiation Protection , Radiation , Costs and Cost Analysis , Gamma Rays , Housing , Humans , Microclimate , Radiation Protection/economics , RadonABSTRACT
Surveys of natural radiation indoors permit improved estimates to be made of exposures nationally and of regional variations. In the UK, there are clear indications that individual doses from radon decay products can be more than two orders of magnitude above the national average. A reliable risk factor for lung cancer allows the risks to individuals to be determined, and some members of the public are seen to be exposed to relatively high risks. The feasibility of reducing such risks requires a knowledge of the costs and effectiveness of remedial and preventive measures. There are also social and administrative considerations. The form of standards and the means of implementating them require careful consideration. A systematic approach to these issues is discussed in this paper.
