Navigation and service

News

Images from mammography screening on a computer screen Source: Gorodenkoff/Stock.adobe.com

Ionising radiation BfS: mammography screening programme also beneficial for younger women

Participation in the mammography screening programme is also associated with more benefits than risks for women aged 45 and over. That is the conclusion reached by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) in its scientific report on “Early detection of breast cancer using X-ray mammography in women under 50”. The BfS recommends reducing the lower age limit for participation in the programme from 50 to 45. Until now, women between the ages of 50 and 69 have been eligible for regular X-ray examinations aimed at the early detection of breast cancer. The new publication has been published in the Federal Gazette and on the BfS website.

A woman forms a heart shape with her hands against the backdrop of a cloudless sky Source: platinumArt/Stock.adobe.com

Optical radiation UV protection also necessary in spring

UV protection is an important topic in spring – even if sun protection is not on many people's minds at the astronomical start of the season (20 March). Even at this stage of the year, however, UV radiation can be so intense in Germany that protective measures are required, as the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is keen to point out.

Attendees at the ceremony held in Berlin to mark the 50th anniversary of the ODL measuring network Source: bundesfoto/Laurin Schmid

Ionising radiation 50 years of measuring ambient radiation

In the early 1970s, in wake of an impending nuclear weapons attack, Germany began to set up a nationwide network for measuring radioactivity. Now, 50 years later, 1,700 probes throughout Germany ensure that a possible increase in radioactivity would not go unnoticed. On 19 and 20 March 2024, the BfS honoured the 50th anniversary of the measuring network with a ceremony and a specialist event in Berlin.

Ionising radiation War in Ukraine: importance for radiation protection

The beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has changed the perception of security among the German population as well as the risk of a nuclear incident in Europe. Three questions for Inge Paulini, President of the BfS.

Site information and functions

© Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz