International Commission On Radiological Protection (ICRP) Principles

International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) principles
In 1915, the British Roentgen Society made the first radiation protection recommendations. To
regulate the safe use of radiation the “British X-ray and Radium protection committee” was formed
(1921). It was made as an International Committee in 1928 as “the International X-ray and Radium
Protection Committee” for the purpose of protecting healthcare workers from radiation hazards. In
1950, the Committee was reorganized into the International Commission on Radiological Protection
(ICRP), which was assigned a significant role as an international organization that makes
recommendations concerning basic frameworks for radiological protection and protection standards.
The Commission made recommendations in 1977, 1990 and 2007. When the ICRP releases its
recommendations, many countries review their laws and regulations on radiological protection
accordingly.
The Commission consists of the Main Commission and five standing Committees (radiation effects,
doses from radiation exposures, protection in medicine, application of the Commission's
recommendations, and protection of the environment).
Aims of the ICRP Recommendations
１) To protect human health i.e., to manage and control radiation exposure, thereby preventing
deterministic effects and reducing risks of stochastic effects As Low As Reasonably Achievable
(ALARA)
２) To protect the environment i.e., to prevent or reduce the occurrence of harmful radiation effects
in the environment.
The major aim of the ICRP Recommendations has been the protection of human health, but the aim
to protect the environment was newly added in the 2007 Recommendations.
Exposure Situations and Protection Measures
The ICRP categorizes exposure situations into normal times that allow planned control (planned
exposure situations), emergencies such as an accident or nuclear terrorism (emergency exposure
situations), and the recovery and reconstruction period after an accident (existing exposure
situations) and sets up protection standards for each of them.
Biological Aspect
Health effects of radiation have deterministic effects and stochastic effects.
Deterministic effects describe a cause and effect relationship between ionizing radiation and
certain side-effects. These effects depend on dose, dose rate, irradiated volume and type of
radiation. Deterministic effects have a threshold below which the effect does not occur. Examples of
deterministic effects:
 Skin erythema: 2-5 Gy
 Irreversible skin damage: 20-40 Gy
 Hair loss: 2-5 Gy
 Sterility: 2-3 Gy
 Cataracts: 0.5 Gy
 Fetal abnormality: 0.1-0.5 Gy
Stochastic effects occur by chance (random) and can be compared to deterministic effects which
result in a direct effect. Cancer, leukemia and radiation induced hereditary effects are the main
examples of stochastic effects.
Models
Cancer induction as a result of exposure to radiation is thought to occur in a stochastic manner:
there is no threshold point and the risk increases in proportionally with dose. Although the exact
model which predicts the stochastic effects of radiation is controversial. Several models exist
including:
 Linear non-threshold model (LNT Model): In this mdel, the risk of cancer induction
increases linearly with no threshold dose (this is currently the accepted model by the
International Commission on Radiological Protection)
 Llinear-quadratic model: In this model, the risk of cancer induction increases in a quadratic-
linear function with a threshold value. According to this model, exposure to radiation below a
certain dose does not actually cause cancer, leukemia, etc. and therefore, the LNT model
represents overestimation not suited to the reality.
Although the risk increases with dose, the severity of the effects do not; the patient will either
develop cancer or not.
➢ The ICRP adopts the linear non‐

threshold (LNT) model as a simple
and reasonable assumption for the
purpose of radiological protection.
***Three Fundamental Principles of Radiological Protection are:
➢ Justification
➢ Optimization
➢ Application of dose limits
The aim of radiation protection should be to prevent deterministic effects and to limit the
probability of stochastic effects to levels deemed to be acceptable. This could be achieved, (i) by
setting limits well below the threshold dose of deterministic effects and (ii) the probability of
stochastic effects could be reduced by limiting exposures As Low As reasonably achievable
(ALARA).
At present, the linear non-threshold (LNT) model is adopted in radiological protection even for low
doses, due to which the safety and the danger cannot be clearly divided. Therefore, the protection
level is considered based on the idea that risks cannot be completely eliminated and on an
assumption that such risks can be tolerated.
As a general approach, three principles designed to control radiation exposure are, ICRP-60 (1990);
The Justification principle
The Optimization principle
The principle of Application of Dose limitation.
Justification
 All exposure either diagnostic or therapeutic shall be under taken only if the benefit gained
out weighs the detriment.
 No practice shall be adopted unless it produces a net positive benefit.
The act of using radiation is permitted

only when the benefits or merits
outweigh the radiation risks.
Optimization
 All exposures which are justified shall be under taken with a minimum possible dose.
 Every effort shall be taken to reduce the dose to As Low As Reasonably Achievable
(ALARA), taking into account the economic and social considerations.
In order to promote the optimization of radiological protection,

dose constraints and reference levels are utilized.
Application of Dose limit
 The equivalent doses to individuals result in from above practices should be subjected to
dose equivalent limits.
 These are aimed at ensuring that no individual is expected to radiation risks that are judged
to be unacceptable from these practices in normal circumstances.
The 2007 Recommendations of the ICRP specify the effective dose limit for occupational exposure
(excluding radiation work in an emergency) as 100 mSv per five years and 50 mSv for the specific
one year. The effective dose limit for public exposure is specified as 1 mSv per year.
➢ Occupational exposure (effective dose)

50 mSv per year and 100 mSv per five years
➢ Public exposure (effective dose)
1 mSv per year
Note:
**The first two principles are applied to all exposure situations whereas the application of dose
limit is applicable under planned exposure situations.
**The application of dose limits is not applicable for medical exposure in treatment or health
checkups. This is because the application of dose limits to medical exposure may hinder patients
from receiving necessary inspections or treatment and is sometimes detrimental to them. Though
the justification and optimization principles are important under medical exposure which may varu
case to case.

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International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) principles

Exposure Situations and Protection Measures

Health effects of radiation have deterministic effects and stochastic effects.

➢ The ICRP adopts the linear non‐

The act of using radiation is permitted

In order to promote the optimization of radiological protection,

➢ Occupational exposure (effective dose)

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