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FEDERAL Radialigi) C8orc.
RADIATION PROTECTION CUIDANCE
FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES
Pursuant lo Dx-cutive Order 10631 and
Public Law 86-373, the Federal Radiation Council has made a study of the
hazards and use of radiation
We here-
with transmit our first report to you
concerning our findings and our recom-
gnendauions for the ruidance of Federal
agencies in the conduct of their radia-
tion protection activities.
Itis the siututory responsibilty of the
Council to “* * * advise the President
with. respect to rediation matters, di_yecly or indircctly affecting health,
4ncluding cuidance for all Federal) aceneles in the formulation of radiation
standards and in the establishment and
execution of protrams of cocperation
with States °° *"
Fundamentslls, setting basic rediation
protection standards invoives passing
Judgment on the extent cf the possible
health hazard society is willing to accept
in order to resuze the known benefits
of radiation.
It involves inevitably a
balancing Letsveen total health protec-
tion, which micht require forecoing any
activities increasing exposure to radiation, and th: vizorous promotion of the
wse of radiziion and atomic energy in
order to echicve optimum benefits.
The Federal Radiation Council has
reviewed availctie Enowledec on radation effects and consulted with sci2ntists
within and outside the Government.
Each membcr has elso examined the
Cuidance recornraended in this memiorandum in lich! of his statutory rerponsi-
Biktics,
Althouch the guidance dses not
coverall phases of radiation protection,
such as internal cmitters. we find that
the guidance which we recommend that
you provide fer the use of Federal asencies gives appropriate consideration to
the requirements of health protection
ang the bencéEcial uses of radiation and
niomicencrev. Our furtherfindings and
recommendations follow.
aN btw owe
et ed ed
_
9. Ifone astumes a direct Mneas rv."
tion between bivlotical cect aru :
amount of dosc. it Gien becomes pczr:.
to rclate very Jow dote to an ussuer
blolomeal effect even thouth it is ne. c.
tectuble. It is generally arrecd tlic:
effect that may actually occur wi!
or quality, to discover hiddcn Daws, to
*
trace liquid Nov. nnd for other purposes,
Go manyresearch uses for jonizinu radiation have been found that scientists in
many diverse ficlds now rank radiation
with the microscope in valuc a5 a worke
excced the amount predicted by t:.
assumption.
inc tool.
and the inipact of tne decisions involved,
a review of the benefits and the hazards
95 necessary.
beginning
from
barely
detectable
changes, to biological signs clearly indicating damase, to death at levels of a
few hundred rems.
3. Delaycd efiects produced either by
benefits and hazards of radi:ntion to ape
preciate that man has existed throuchout his historv in oa bath of natural
Fadiation. This backcround radintion,
which varies over the carth. pravides nr
partial basis for understanding the ef-
fects of radiation on man and serves as
ah indicator of the rances of racbation
exposures wilhin which the human popue
Jation has developed and inereased.
The benefits of tonisina radiation,
Radiation properiy controlled ts a boon
6 tnankind. WMohas been of inestinable
‘value in the diatnosis and treatment of
diseases,
It ¢an provide suurces of
2001 Hb
lozical effect and the amount ef c.aetermines our basic approach to t:
formulation of radiation profcs..:
guides.
The lack of adecuate seientifie intc:
mation makes it urgent that edcizcr.
Tesexreh be underteken and new ¢:Ceveloped to provide a firmer basis :
acute irradiation or Ey chronic irradia-. evaluating biolezical risk. Apprers::
tion are similar in kind, but the ability of member agencies cf the Federal Fic:.
the body to repair radiation damage is tion Council are sponsoring and encc—
usually more effective in the case of aging research in these areas.
- Recommendaiions. In view cf t
chronic than acute irradiation.
4. The delaved effects from radiation find.ngs summarized above the follow::
are in g2neral indistinguishable from reccmmendations are made:
familiar pathological conditions usually .
It is recommended that:
presentin the population.
1, There shoulda not be any mas-mr:
& Deizyed effects include genetic Tadiation exposure without the expec:
effects (effects transmitted to succeeding tion of benefit resulting from such :
generations), increased incidence of
Fosure. Activities resulting in man-n.tumors, lifespan snortening, and growth
Tediation exposure should be author:
and development chances.
6. The child, the infant, end the un- for usefu] applications provided in 3.
born infant appear to be more sensitive ommendations sct forth herein «
followed.
© radiation than the adult.
_%. The various orrans of the bods differ
in their sensitivity toradiation. _
8. Althouch jonizing radiztion ean ine
duce genctic and somatic effects (effects
on the individual durine his lifetime
other than genctic effects), the evidence
at the present lime is insufficient to jusand dcss rates.
Mereover, the evidence
hypothesis of “no threshold” in man at
low doses.
Type of e.posure
.
Itis imporfant In censidering bolh the
the biological cflects at very lew c:
and low-dose rates. It is net prus::
therefore to assume that there is a is.
of radiation expssure below which t>::
is absolute certainty that no effesrt 1:
oecur. This consideration, in t¢2...:
to the adoption of the conservative :
Pctbesis of a lit:ear relation Estweer. +:
2. AS acute whole bocy doses increase
above approximately 25 rens Cunits of
radiation dose), immediately observable
effects increase in sevcrity with dose,
ficial uses of Jonizing radiation as posinsight into the scope of the probicm
e)) types and Jevcls of irradiation [%7.-::
is particular uncertainty with resprc. -
both.
is insuficient to prove cither the hypothesis Of a “damase threshold” (a point
below which no damaze occurs) or the
Sible while assuring that man is not
exposed to unduc hazard. To ect a true
Basic biological assumptions. ‘Tec:
are insuficien: data to provide a mt.
basis for evaluating radiation effcc.- :
The haserds of fonizing radiation.
Ionizing radiation involves health hazards just as do manyother usefu! tools.
ScientiNe findines coneerning the biological cffects of radiation of most imMediate intcrest to the establishment of
radiation protection standards are the
following:
1. Acute doses of rediation may produce immediate or delayed effects, or
tify precise conclusions on the nature of
the dose-cilect relationship at low doscs
guides is to allow as much of the Lene-
—
we eth 6 oe
Discussion. The fundamental problem
establishing radistion proteciion
§n
,
he
enerry ereater than anv the world has
yet had available. In Industry, it ds used
as s too! to micasure thickness, quantity
ryserny
fAemorondcum for the President
22 WA A
It is recommended that:
2. The term “RadiationPrete-:
Guice” be adopted for Federal use. 7.
term is defined_as_the_ radiation c:
which should not be exceeded witi::
careful consideration of the reaso::3 :
doing so; every effort should be miiCe
encourage the maintenance of red
doses
as
practicable.
far
below this guics,
It is recommended that:
3. The following Radiation Proic:::
Guides be adopted for normal pzace:::
operations:
Condition
Nadhiathm worker:
GY Wheels beet, head and drimk acttee blood form.
Diese érens)
Accumulated dase.] § timer the number of yet: t::
ing orpans, gutiads, or bei of cy 6,
ate Js.
TA weeks... ceccces
(hb) Ekin of whole body and tnyrobd....cesceeeencct{ VOUT... cenwcccacenece| JO
UT wecks, ccc wecewene| MM.
(c) aids and borrarms, lect and anklet.ecco VOM. ey eters eeeee| oh
(a) Mowe 2.
VW weeks... Ct a.
Body burden. eccce] G1 microrran of radium -2m ‘
1roweenl equiraicat,
ORE... cee mecererenee
13 Wechs.. 2... ceccres :
y
Vere. ccc ccc cccene enee! OS (whee body},
.
te) Other oreans...
.
Deqvalsthin:
da} Dinka di Teal.
Qh) Averages... waweecececuccecrenccenscescesenes W SCAT ne cecceseeescce} b Guitads).
The followine points are made in ree
lation fo the Radiation Protection
Guides herein provided:
_
7.
t-¢
1): For the individual in the pore:
tion, the basic Guide for annual v1
body dose is 0.5 rem. This Guide:
Hae on
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