Author Description

"This report is a position statement of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) on issues that have emerged as a result of the 'recent' (1972) publication of reports by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the National Academy of Sciences Advisory Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiations treating the estimation of the risks arising from exposure to ionizing radiation. Although these 'recently' published materials have essentially reached the same numerical results for radiation levels at which observations are available, there have been differences in philosophy and divergent conclusions regarding the estimation of the risk associated with low-level, low dose rate radiation, for which little or no data are available. Further, and perhaps more importantly, widely varying interpretations of the significance and meaning of these reports and conclusions have been formulated. In an endeavor to consider carefully the implications of the various 'new' recommendations in relation to 'current' NCRP radiation protection philosophy, the Board of Directors of the Council determined to undertake an intensive analysis of the published materials and the underlying background. To initiate this work, the NCRP constituted the Ad Hoc Committee on Comparison of Radiation Protection Philosophies. The Committee developed background material for consideration of this topic by the Board of Directors of the Council. The Board determined that a formulation of the NCRP's position would constitute an important contribution and, utilizing the material developed by the Ad Hoc Committee, together with review by the Council, produced this report." --From Preface, page iii.