Bases and trends in radiation protection policy

The objective of radiation protection is to prevent detrimental non-stochastic effects and to limit the probability of stochastic effects to levels deemed to be acceptable. For this purpose, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has suggested the three principles of justification of practice, optimization of protection, and individual dose limitation. The ICRP dose limits are individual-related, but the practical limitation of dose contributions from specified sources is source-related, as is that of collective dose. This may be needed in optimization analyses if proportionality between radiation health detriment and collective dose can be assumed. Limitation of the collective dose commitment per unit of practice may be an useful method for control of the highest future per caput dose. These bases of current radiation protection policy are reviewed, together with some indications of trends, including probabilistic approaches