The evolving radiation protection paradigm: retrospective attribution of radiation effects vis-à-vis prospective inference of radiation risk

The highest international intergovernmental body has reported an international consensus on the vastly debated conundrum of health effects derived from radiation exposure situations. Such a consensus can be summarized as follows: The attribution of radiation health effects should always be retrospective rather than prospective; conversely, radiation risk can be prospectively inferred, deterministic health effects are individually attributable to exposure situations involving high doses. Attestation shall be done by a qualified radio-pathologist, stochastic effects of radiation-induced cancers are collectively (not individually) attributable, and only in the case that radiation doses are sufficiently high as to permit epidemiological discernment. Attestation shall be done by a qualified radio-epidemiologist, stochastic effects of radiation-induced cancers are not attributable to radiation exposure situations involving radiation doses similar to typical of the global average background levels, stochastic hereditary effects are not attributable to any radiation exposure situation, the presence of biological indicators of radiation exposure is not synonym of radiation effects