Trend of environmental radiation protection

Increasing attention has come to be focused on the protection of the environment, i.e., non-human biota and ecosystems, from ionizing radiation. The ICRP established Committee 5 for the environmental protection in 2005, and put a new chapter entitled Protection of the Environment in the ICRP recommendation in 2007. Although a lot of efforts have also been put on the collection of available scientific data mainly through European projects, further researches are required to get necessary parameters and to establish suitable methods for evaluation of radiation dose and effects. In addition, there is a need to collect scientific information in Asian countries including Japan, because of the difference in environmental condition between Europe and Asia. This paper summarizes international and national trends in radiological protection of the environment. (author)