In the present report, ICRP provides information on radiation doses to the infant due to intakes of radionuclides in maternal milk. As in Publication 88 (ICRP, 2001) on doses to the embryo and fetus following intakes of radionuclides by the mother, intakes by female members of the public and female workers are addressed. Acute and chronic intakes are considered at various times before and during pregnancy as well as during the period of breastfeeding. Dose coefficients per unit intake by the mother (Sv/Bq) are given for the selected radionuclides of the same 31 elements for which age-specific...

ICRP Publication 84 concerns the management of pregnant patients as well as pregnant workers in medical establishments where ionising radiation is used. Thousands of pregnant patients and medical radiation workers are exposed to radiation each year. Lack of knowledge is responsible for great anxiety and probably unnecessary termination of many pregnancies. This report discusses how to deal with these problems. It is written primarily for physicians, but will also be useful for medical and health physicists, nurses, technologists, and administrators. It is not intended as a complete reference...

Despite the increase in data and the understanding of both deterministic effects and cancer induction in the skin in recent years, many questions that are important for risk estimation remain. This report, adopted by the ICRP in November 1991, is the work of a Task Group set up to consider the biological basis for dose limitation in the skin. The Task Group reviewed available dose-effect data for cancer induction and deterministic effects in the skin to estimate for these effects; it reviewed evidence concerning which cells are at risk, to determine at what depth dose measurements should be...

This report investigates data on RBE - the Relative Biological Effectiveness - of various types of radiation to assess whether, for specific tissues, the present dose limits or annual limits of intake, based on Q values, and intended to limit the incidence of stochastic effects, are adequate to prevent deterministic effects. The report addresses the problems of accidental exposures as well as chronic irradiation. Also included is the RBE values for the deterministic effects associated with alpha and beta emitting radionuclides in the lungs with particular reference to nuclides and irradiation...

The purpose of ICRP 72 is to summarise data on age dependent committed effective dose coefficients for members of the public from intakes by ingestion and inhalation of radioisotopes of the 91 elements described in ICRP Publications 56, 67, 68, 69 and 71. These dose coefficients have been adopted in the International Atomic Energy Agency in their publication on International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionising Radiation, and in the Euratom Directive. The report does not give committed equivalent dose coefficients to tissues and organs. The report will be useful to...

The use of permanent radioactive implants (I-125 or Pd-103 seeds) to treat selected localised prostate cancer patients has been increasing rapidly all over the world for the last 15 years. It is estimated that more than 50,000 patients are treated this way every year in the world, and this number is anticipated to increase in the near future.

Although no accidents or adverse effects involving medical staff and/or members of the patient's family have been reported to date, this brachytherapy technique raises a number of radiation safety issues that need specific recommendations...

ICRP Publication 83 reviews data on naturally occurring multifactorial diseases and develops a mathematical model to predict the impact of radiation induced mutations on the frequencies of these diseases in the population. It provides a broad outline of the aetiological features and examples of multifactorial diseases. It considers the concepts and models used to explain their inheritance patterns, with particular emphasis on the Multifactorial Threshold Model. Conceptual differences from 'mendelian' diseases are discussed, and pertinent epidemiology is reviewed. Particular attention is paid...

In 1977, the International Commission on Radiological Protection issued ICRP Publication 27, "Problems Involved in Developing an Index of Harm." That report discussed the difficulties of making an appropriate comparison of radiation and other effects and suggested a quantitative index to take account of the length of life or full activity lost as a result of occupational causes. This new report substantially extends the scope of ICRP Publication 27, by including new data on occupational accident risks as well as a consideration of radiation induced non-fatal cancers, non-stochastic effects...

The Task Group of Committee 4 was originally established to produce a report on methods of optimizing radiological protection other than cost benefit analysis. As the work of the Task Group progressed, however, it became clear that it would be more useful to produce a report that considered all aspects of optimization, including cost benefit. This report therefore considers various techniques and their application to problems at different levels of complexity.

The document attempts a wide-ranging comparative survey of scientific reports on high-LET mutagenesis. It considers the implication of this data for radiological protection. It includes information on the effects of high and low doses administered at high and low dose rates. The distinction between high- and low-LET radiation is also discussed.