Main description:

This report compiles the various numerical protection level values published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) since its 1990 Recommendations (Publication 60). Several terms are used to denominate the protection levels: individual dose limit, 'maximum' individual dose, dose constraint, exemption level, exclusion level, action level, or intervention level. The reasons provided by the Commission for selecting the associated numerical values is quoted as far as available. In some cases the rationale is not totally explicit in the original ICRP report concerned; in such cases the Task Group that prepared the present report have proposed their own interpretation.

Originally, this report was prepared by a Task Group at CEPN, a French research and development centre, on behalf of IRSN, a French public expert body engaged in radiological protection and nuclear safety. It is published here with kind permission by CEPN and IRSN.

Contents:

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. References 2. RATIONALES BEHIND INDIVIDUAL DOSE LIMITS 2.1. Public exposure 2.2. Occupational exposure 2.3. References 3. RATIONALES BEHIND 'MAXIMUM' INDIVIDUAL DOSE FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND IN THE CONTEXT OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH 3.1. Emergency situations 3.2. Biomedical research 3.3. References 4. RATIONALES BEHIND DOSE CONSTRAINT 4.1. References 5. RATIONALES BEHIND EXEMPTION, EXCLUSION, ACTION, AND INTERVENTION LEVELS 5.1. Exemption levels 5.2. Exclusion levels 5.3. Action levels 5.4. Intervention levels for some prolonged exposure situations 5.5. Intervention levels for radiological emergencies 5.6. Intervention levels after a radiological attack 5.7. Generic intervention levels for potential exposure scenarios for long-lived radioactive waste disposal 5.8. References 6. SYNTHESIS 6.1. References ANNEX A. NUMERICAL PROTECTION LEVEL VALUES FOUND IN ICRP PUBLICATIONS SINCE PUBLICATION 60 ANNEX B. ICRP QUOTATIONS ERRATUM TO ICRP PUBLICATION 94