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Protection
is possible
Thanks to extensive research, we now know a lot about ionizing
radiation. Armed with this knowledge, man has developed and refined
tools and techniques to protect himself. |
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Protection
is necessary
If
you're worried about the sun damaging your skin, you can take certain
precautions: sit under an umbrella or apply some suntan oil. Ionizing
radiation is no different: people who use radioactive materials must protect
themselves against radiation and against contamination.
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How
can we protect ourselves against radiation?
The tools and techniques available to protect us against ionizing
radiation are based on the following principles: |
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Exposure
time
The
shorter the exposure time, the smaller the radiation dose. |
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Distance
from the source
The
further away the radioactive source, the smaller the dose. |
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Shielding
and containment
Water,
glass, lead, concrete and many other materials shield from radiation
effectively. The encapsulation or containment of radioactive substances
in such materials prevents them from being dispersed into the environment.
Adapted clothes and masks limit the risk of contamination. |
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Are
there any laws that make radiation protection compulsory?
Yes, there are rules governing radiation protection. These have
been developed at international level and then incorporated into international
and national legislation. Belgium has a Royal Decree that specifies the
necessary protection measures. This Decree is regularly adapted to take
into account scientific and technical advances.
The original Royal Decree (with
its appendixes) of 26 February 1963 was amended by the Royal Decree of 20
July 2001 (which came into effect on 30 August 2001). Text reproduced on
the website of the FANC (in French or in Dutch).
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What
is radiation protection legislation based on?
The International Commission on Radiological Protection
(ICRP)
recommends a system that is based on three principles.
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Justification of the practice
The benefits of radioactivity must outweigh the drawbacks.
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Optimisation of protection
Radiation doses must be kept as low as reasonably achievable, taking
into account economic and social factors. This is often referred to
as the ALARA principle.
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Individual
dose limits
Individual dose limits have been set for the general public and for
radiation workers. |
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What
are the regulatory individual dose limits?
The dose limits in Belgium are fixed in the royal decree (with
its appendixes) of 26 February 1963, which was amended by the royal decree
of 20 July 2001 (which came into effect on 30 August 2001). Text reproduced
on the website of the FANC
(in French and in Dutch).
The maximum dose to which a citizen can be exposed in addition to the
one from natural radiation, was lowered to 1 mSv, measured over a period
of 12 consecutive months. For persons professionally exposed to ionizing
radiation, the maximum dose has been fixed at 20 mSv, measured over a
period of 12 consecutive months.
In comparison: each of us is exposed to about 2 to 10 mSv per year in
Belgium due to the cosmic radiation of radioactive substances present
in nature, the soil and building materials. This varies from one place
to another. For medical applications, the European annual dose is about
1 mSv.
If
you don't understand a term, please refer to our glossary.
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