[ RadSafe ] ICRP 1 mSv Annual General Public Limit

[Franz Schönhofer]

Roy and RADSAFErs,

With all due respect I would like to point to one very common
misunderstanding unfortunately abundant like a "disease" even among
radiation protection professionals.

The ICRP has no power, authorisation or any legal worldwide background to
set "limits" for doses or whatever with respect to radiation or anything
else. What it has is clearly a moral authority as a supranational
institution of independent, world wide recognized and respected scientists.
It does not set "limits", but gives recommendations, which may - or may not
- be incorporated into national laws. The same is true for the
recommendations of the WHO, the IAEA and the European Union (there might be
more bodies).  

Therefore the discussions here about the "limit" of ICRP and the limits in
the USA is not really relevant - nobody can argue that he is keeping the
ICRP (or whatever) "limits", but has to observe the legal limits set by the
national legislation. 

I have been watching closely the legislation about drinking water
radioactivity and even in the European Union Member States "limits" are by
far not uniform. Not to talk that even among those international scientific
bodies like ICRP and WHO the recommendations are not the same. Just one
brief example: The EU recommendations do not contain a recommended limit for
uranium on a mass basis, which would be the only way to handle it because of
uraniums chemotoxicity, the WHO does it.

Best regards,

Franz 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] Im Auftrag von Roy Parker
Gesendet: Montag, 21. Februar 2011 17:17
An: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] ICRP 1 mSv Annual General Public Limit

What was the first year and publication in which ICRP established the 1 mSv
annual limit for members of the general public?

Roy A. Parker, Ph.D.
Radiation Physics Consultant
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