Occupational radiation exposure reaches lowest value

The level of radiation exposure of individuals occupationally exposed to radiation in Germany has further decreased within the past few years. The annual average reached 0.66 millisievert (mSv) in 2010. That is the lowest value since the beginning of radiation exposure monitoring. This is the result of an evaluation of the radiation protection register carried out by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). "This finding demonstrates that the central radiation protection monitoring pays off: Occupationally exposed people now experience lower radiation exposures than in the past", said a BfS speaker.

Decrease of occupational radiation exposure

The annual limit of 20 millisievert was exceeded only in three individuals in 2010, compared to 33 in 2000. However, dose levels of workers decreased even within the range not exceeding permissible limits: Annual dose levels below three millisievert were established in more than 99 per cent of workers, whereas three to four millisievert were the mean annual doses in the 70s and 80s.

The appreciable decrease in occupational radiation exposure is essentially due to the principle of optimization of radiation protection. According to this basic principle, radiation protection limits shall not be exhausted and radiation exposure be kept as low as reasonably practicable even if a permitted limit is not exceeded, taking into account social and economic aspects connected with occupational radiation exposure. "The importance of radiation protection must be increased in the work areas concerned also in the future", says a BfS speaker, "because the new European Safety Standards for radiation protection assign an essential role to the principle of optimization". The positive developments, therefore, are no reason not to continue optimizing radiation protection, since there are still applications where radiation exposure of workers can be reduced.

The BfS's radiation protection register

Radiation protection monitoring includes almost 380,000 occupationally exposed persons in Germany. The BfS's radiation protection register involves person-related combination and evaluation of the dose values established. An important task of the radiation protection register is long-term monitoring of adherence to dose limits and nationwide analysis of the development of occupational radiation exposure in the light of optimization.

The annual statistical evaluations of exposure data provide nuanced overviews of the current state and further development of occupational radiation exposure. They give hints to applications where improvements might be possible, thus making a vital contribution to effective radiation protection monitoring in Germany.

Report

The report "Die berufliche Strahlenexposition in Deutschland 2010" (in German) is available on the Digital Online Repository and Information System (DORIS) of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection.