1?
International radiological protection conumissions are bring torether specialists from: all
countries These commissions have diawanap recommendations aimed ab protceting: agama homful
radioactivity. From their work, vadiation sGindards have been set the eficctiveness ef whi bh has
been amply demonstrated.
The radiation standards are. pencrally speaking, set at levels well below the threshold
doses necessary before physical cllects are felt, Ghey are measured in millers
adopted to protect populations also apply to atomic energy workers
The strict standards
However, because young people (children and adolescents) are more sensitive te cadiation
than adults, and pregnant women may be less resistant to radiation, Che amounts of padiitios adopted
for the population are well below those set for atomic workers.
Although knowledge of dic effects of radiation is recent,
i038 possible to set universally recognised Standards oclow which Chere is ner risk
In accordance with the recommendations of the international radiological protection commissions, the radiation rate from sources other than natural radioactive substances should not exceed
0.5 rem, year for the population or 5 rems/year for specialized workers.
The special commission responsible for studying security problems connected with the
French nuclear tests has therefore adopted the maximum rate admissible in the arca affected by
these tests; this rate is 0.5 rem/year, or approximately the average rate of natural radioactivity in
granite soil.
This means that an explosive nuclear test is prohibited
nee
if there is a risk of reaching a dose of 0.5 rem inam inhabited place.