Eye lens surveillance. What is the reaction of international organizations?

The ICRP has lowered its recommendation for the limit of the dose to the lens of the eye for occupationally exposed persons down to 20 mSv per year on average (mean value of 5 years with 50 mSv per year at maximum); both the European Commission and the IAEA have adopted this reduction in their respective basic safety standards. Even before this (and still more since then) several international activities were started (among others): The ICRP adopted a stylised model of the eye lens for the calculation of dose conversion coefficients for their report ICRP 116. The European Commission funded the ORAMED project dealing with radiation protection in medicine. The IEC fixed requirements for Hp(3) eye dosemeters in their standard IEC 62387 on passive dosimetry systems. The ISO and the IAEA give a variety of practical advice in the standard ISO 15382 and in a technical document TecDoc (both still drafts) for both radiation protection as well as dosimetry. The ICRU recommends both phantoms, the slab and the cylinder, for most cases. In short: Most national procedures can orientate themselves by referring to international ones; however, some questions remain open. (orig.)