[en] In July 1990, Greenpeace distributed a 16-page treatise entitled 'Canada's Radiation Scandal' to a wide audience. The bottom line of the Greenpeace critique was that 'Canada's radiation limits are among the worst in the developed world'. This is a commentary on the Greenpeace pamphlet from the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB), the body that sets and enforces radiation standards covering the use of nuclear energy in Canadian industry, science and medicine

[en] Some years ago ICRP decided to revise their fundamental recommendations written down in ICRP publication 26. This decision was strongly influenced by the appearance of the new reports for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The new dose calculations for the survivors of the atomic bombs as well as the follow-up of the mortality statistics of these cities up to 1985 resulted in cancer risk estimates that are at least 3 times higher than the risk values ICRP publication 26 was based upon. This fact induced ICRP to lower the old dose limit of 50 mSv per year for occupationally expose people. In the new fundamental recommendations which will appear as ICRP publication 60, there are no revolutionary changes. Rather an evolutionary development, based on the old ICRP concepts can be recognized. But the new recommendations are clearer, more mature and have a better scientific base than the old ones. (orig.)

[en] The Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health has been informed that paragraphs 99-102 of ICRP Publication 26 are being interpreted in some countries as a recommendation to limit the average annual dose equivalent, over a working lifetime, to less than 5 mSv. This brief note sets out the reasons why the Committee considers that national authorities which are preparing radiological protection regulations and standards should exercise considerable caution in examining any proposal to introduce lifetime dose limits for workers in these regulations and standards. (U.K.)

[en] Personal impressions are given on the current system of radiation protection, whose development of course owes much to the ICRP and ICRU. They have functioned satisfactorily and activities of these two international commissions are to be highly praised, but it seems that there still is some room left for improvement. Systemization of dosimetry and of dose limitation are discussed and suggestions are given to strengthen the foundation of the system. Unifying the doses for protection and defining the limitation system with this single dose in a unified way are proposed. 2 refs., 2 tabs. (Author)

[en] This paper reports Thermoluminescence (TL) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dose response characteristics of ten different commercial glass samples collected from Turkey. Nowadays, glass samples are widely used mostly in objects of everyday life. The study focuses to both TL and OSL dose responses, through a dose region within 1 and 512 Gy. Lowest detectable dose limit (LDDL) as well as the respective linearity features of the corresponding dose response curves were studied for both TL and OSL. Moreover, signal reproducibility and fading behaviors have also been studied in detail. For specific samples, the lowest detectable dose was yielded at 2 Gy, making thus these samples appropriate for retrospective dosimetry applications. Nevertheless, based on the features reported in the present study, the majority of the samples could be possibly used effectively for dosimetric applications of higher doses in the UV region emission. - Highlights: • TL and OSL dose response characteristics of ten different commercial glass samples were investigated. • Lowest detectable dose limit (LDDL) and linearity features were determined. • Signal reproducibility and fading behavior were studied in detail.

[en] These Guidelines on radon measurements in dwellings, issued by the State Institute of Radiation Hygiene, are based on results of large-scale surveys in Norway and on conclusions reached by national experts and competent international organisations. The Institute concluded that radon is the main source of collective exposure to radiation in the country and recommendations are made on the maximum permissible average yearly radon concentration in existing and in future dwellings

[en] The ICRP recommendations nos. 9 and 26 for dose limits for radiological workers are explained and compared. The author's conclusion is that the new ones are an improvement of the previous ones, facilitating their execution in various applications of ionizing radiations or radio-active materials. (Auth.)

[en] The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) issued a new and revised standard (ICRP 60) with recommendations for limits of radiation doses. The impacts for the exploitation and personnel of related industrial and medical sectors are outlined

[en] These Guidelines on radon measurements in building grounds were issued by the State Institute of Radiation Hygiene. They recommend maximum permissible average yearly radon concentrations in building grounds

[en] The main findings are summarised of a recent joint EULEP/EURADOS working group (part of the Environmental Dosimetry Action of the EU 4th framework programme) which has reviewed the origins, physical and radiological characteristics, biological effects, and international dose limits for non respirable, radioactive 'hot particles' which present potential hazards to the skin. Account has been taken of previous deliberations of the ICRP, a recent draft report of the NCRP, recent statements from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other recent research findings regarding the stochastic effects of hot particle exposures. The working group recommends further research to address several topics which fall into four main areas: dosimetry: deterministic effects: stochastic effects: and radiological protection philosophy. The first three topics have been considered in three other papers in these proceedings. This paper concentrates on issues related to radiological protection philosophy which arise from the disparity between recommendations regarding hot particle dose limits of the ICRP, the NCRP and NRC. (author)