be exceeded without careful consideration of the reasons for doing
so, and that every effort should be made to encourage the maintenance
of radiation doses as far below these guides as practicable.
To
comply with these standards, certain conditions must be met.
First,
the basic FRC recommendation is
iA}
"...that the yearly radiation exposure
to the whole body of individuals in the general population...should not
exceed 0.5 rem."/
The FRC recognized, however, that exposure of
individuals may be difficult to monitor under some circumstances;
thus they suggested that the limit to individuals may be met by the
use of average limits to the popualtion.
Second,
therefore, the
FRC indicated that:""Under certain conditions, such as widespread
radioactive contamination of the environment, the only data available
may be related to average contamination or exposure levels.
Under
these circumstances, it is necessary to make assumptions concerning
the relationship between average and maximum doses.
The Federal
Radiation Council suggests the use of the arbitrary assumption that
the majority of individuals do not vary from the average by a factor
greater than three.
Thus, we recommend the use of 0.17 rem for yearly
whole-body exposure of average population groups... It is critical that
this guide be applied with reason and judgment.
Especially, it is
noted that the use of the average figure, as a substitute for
evidence concerning the dose to individuals, is permissible only when
OtheFederalRadiation Council, in Report No. 1 (see footnote 4, pp. 26-27),
stated that the guidance should not be exceeded unless "...a careful
study indicates that the probable benefits will outweigh the potential
risk."
T5ee Note 4, p. 26.