[Reprinted from the Federal Register of September 26, 1961, as corrected | FEDERAL RADIATION COUNCIL RADIATION PROTECTION GUIDANCE FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES Memorandum for the President e SrerTomscra 13, 1961. Puisuant to Executive Order 10831 and Pubilc Law 86-373, the Federal Radilation Counci) herewith transmits Its second report to you concerning findings and recommendations for guidance for Federal] agencies in the conduct of their radiation protection activities. Background. On May 13, 1960, the first recommendations of the Council were approved by the President and the memorandum containing these recommendations was published in the FerpEEAL REGISTER ON May 18, 1960. ‘There wes also released at the same time, Staff Report No. 1 of the Federal Radiation Council, entitled, “Background Material for the Development of Radiation Protection Standards,” dated May 13, 1960. The first report of the Council provided a general philosophy of radiation protection to be used by Federal agencies in the conduct of their specific programs and responsibilities. It introduced and defined the term ‘‘Radiation Pretection Guide" (RPG). It provided numerical values for Radiation Protection Guides ‘for the whole body and certain organs of radiation workers and for the whole body of individuals in the general pop- ulation, as well as an averéee population gonadal dose. It introduced as an operational technique, where indis:dual whole body doses are not known, the use of a “suitable sample’ of the exposed popuJation In which the guide for the average exposure of the sample should be one-third the RPG for the Individual members of the group. It emphasized thet this operational technique should be modified to meet special situations. In selecting a suitable sample particular care should be taken to assure that a disproportionate fraction of the average dose is not received by the most sensitive population elements. The observations, assumptions, and comments set out In the memorandum published In the FrepERAL REGISTER, May 1€, 1960, are equally applicable to this memora::dum This memorandum contains i1ecornomendations for the guidance of Federal agencies in activities designed to Hmit exposure of members cf population groups to radiation from radioactive materials peposited in the body as a result of thelr occurrence in (he environment. These recommendations include: (1) Radiation Protection Guides for cer- taln organs of Individuagis in the general Population, as well as averages over suitable samples of exposed groups: (2) _ uldance on ceneral principles of contro} applicable. to all radionuclides occurring in the environment: and (3) specific €uldance in connection with exposure of population groups to radium -226, In the development of the Radiation jodine-131, strontium-90, and stron- Protection Guides contained herein, the tium-89. It is the intention of the Coun- . Counci} has considered both sides of this cli to release the background metera! balance. The Council hes reviewed leading to these recommendations as available knowledge, consulted with 6tafl Report No, 2 when the recommenscientists within and outside the Govermdations contalmed herein are approved. ment, and soliciltec views of interested Specific attention was directed to individuals and groups from the genera! problems associated with radium-226, public. In particular, the Council has fodine-131, strontium-90, and strontiummot only drawn heavily upon reports 88. Radium-226 is an important natu- published by the International Commisrally occurring radioactive maternal, The sion on Radioiogical Protection (ICRP?}, other three were present in fallout fram the National Committee on Radiation nuclear weapons testing. They could, Protection and Measurements (NCRP,, under certain circumstances, also be’ and the Nationa] Academy of Sciences major constituents of radioactive ma- *(NAS), but has had during the developterials released to the environment from ment of the report the benefit of consultation with, and comments and suglarge scale atomic energy installations gestions by, individuals from NCRP and used for peaceful purposes. Available data suggest that effective control of - NAS and of their subcommittees. The these nuclides, in cases of mixed fission . Radiation Protection Guides recomproduct contamination of the environ- + mended below are considered by the Council to represent an appropriete balment, would provide reasonable assurance between the*requirements of health ance of at least comparable limitation of hezard from other fission products in protection and of the beneficial uses of the body. Tadiation and atomic energy. Establishment of the Federal Radia- It is recommended that: ‘tlon Council followed 8 period of public 1. ‘The following Radiation Protection, concern incident to discussions of fall-+ Guides be adopted for normal] peacetime out. While strontium-90 received the operations. , greatest popular attention, exposures to’ ecesium-137, jodime-131, strontium-89 Ta*_y I—Ravunox Prorecnon Gerpre ror Cerram Hopy Orcase i RELanON TG Exrosyri or Pore: and, in still lesser degrees to other radioLatTliok GRours puclides, are involved in the evaluation of over-all effects, The characteristics RPG for” averare ‘of cesium-137 lead to direct comparison Organ, EPG kor indlof susele sample viduals of eipccid popue with whole body exposures for which , . labot group recommendations by the Council have already been made. ..... LSBrem per year O.S rem per year, Studies by the staff of the Council in- * Thyroid. | Bens merrow.; 0.8 rem per year G7 rece per yess. dicate that observed concentrations ‘of liane... eee LSrem per yet... Gores per year. 0.063 mierorrsms O00) 7..c7 radiosctive Strontium in food and water Lane (alterof Ra-2in the of lt nate guide). do not result in concentrations in the au on adult skiicion ‘ skeleton (and consequently in radia- “tion doses) as large as have beén Bs-— sumed in the past. However, concentra. tions of jod{ne-131 in the diets of smail' chiidren, particularly in milk, equal to those permitted under current standards would lead to radiation doses to the ‘child's thyroid which, in comparison with the general structure of current or the bioiozical or tn: bieloe seal this amount of thes esgount of Ro-T, equivwient of Ke-22. eGuivacnt ol It wil] be noted that the preceding table provides Radiation Protection Guides to be applied to the ayerace of a suilabie sample of an exposed popuietion group which are one-third of those applying to radiation protection standards, would. individuals. This is in accordance with be too high. This is because current the recommendations in the first report concentration guides for exposure of of the Council concerning operational population groups to radioactive mate- ‘techniques for controlling population exriats in air, food, and water have been. Posure. Since jn the case of exposure of Gerived by application of a single frac- & population group to radionuclides the radiation doses to individuals are nat tion to corresponding occupational guides. -In the case of jlodine-131 in usually known, the organ dose to be used rail, consumption of milk and retention eas a guide for the average of suitable of iodine by the child may be at Jeast as, samples of an exposed population group great as by the adult, while the rela-. is also given as an RPG. Recommendations as to general printively small size of the thyroid makes the radiation dose to the thyroid much ciples. Control of population exposure larger than in the case of the adult. In from radionuclides occurring in the enaddition, there is evidence that irradia- vironment is accomplisned In ceneral tion of the thyroid involves greater risk either by restriction on the entry of such materials into the environment or to children than to adults. Recommendations as to Radtation Pro- through measures designed to limit the tection Guides, The Federal Radiation intake by memibers of the population of Council has previously emphasized that radionuclides already in the environestablishment of radiation protection ment, Both approaches involve the constandards involves a balancing of the sideration of actual or potential conbenefits tu be derived from the controlied centrations of radionctive material in use of radiation and atomic energy air, water, or food. Cuntrols should be against the risk of radiation exposure. based upon an evaluation of population SOlisTy