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Radiation protection

Ionising radiation can induce various effects. Effects that cause mostly immediate damage in tissues and organs and occur above a dose threshold are referred to as deterministic effects. Stochastic effects occur later, are based on damage in the genetic material and have no threshold. Radiation protection is aimed at reliably preventing deterministic radiation effects. The risk for stochastic effects is to be lowered to a reasonably achievable level.

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Principles of radiation protection

Ionising radiation can trigger both deterministic and stochastic effects. The aim of radiation protection is to prevent reliably the deterministic effects of radiation. In order to keep the risk of stochastic damage from ionising radiation as low as possible, three general principles have been set out in radiation protection for dealing with ionising radiation: justification, dose limitation, and optimisation.

Friedensdenkmal in Hiroshima

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: significance for radiation protection

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 were to date the only time nuclear weapons were used in a military conflict. The health effects are vrious. The studies on health effects in the survivors are still an important basis for setting limit values in radiation protection and provide knowledge on the health risks of ionising radiation.

National Dose Register

The German National Dose Register, or in German "Strahlenschutzregister" (SSR), is a central federal institution and is operated by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). It continuously monitors the dose limit values for occupationally exposed persons in Germany and the issuance of radiation passbooks.

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Limit values in radiation protection

The Radiation Protection Act and the Radiation Protection Ordinance specify dose limits for the general population and for occupationally exposed persons. In general, any application of ionising radiation must be justified and the radiation exposure must be kept as low as possible even when below the limit values.

Stewardess in aircraft

Monitoring of flight personnel

At high altitudes people are exposed to considerably more cosmic radiation than at ground level. It is technically not possible to shield aircraft against cosmic radiation. Thus, pilots and flight attendants - especially if they often fly long-haul flights on polar routes - may receive radiation doses which are certainly comparable to the dose values of occupational groups using ionising radiation or handling radioactive sources.

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