Workshop on Science and values in radiation protection in Helsinki15/01/2008
The scientific knowledge on effects of radiation is increasing continuously and at the same time the values of the society and the demands made on radiation protection are rapidly changing.
The authorities and policy makers responsible for radiation protection must have the best possible knowledge at hand all the time to make valid decisions. On the other hand, the scientists should be able to cooperate with the authorities and the decision-makers in order to provide up-to-date knowledge on the issue. The Research Director of STUK, Prof. Sisko Salomaa, is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the workshop to be held in January in Helsinki. She states that mutual understanding on the scientific evidence and the radiation protection practise is important both for obtaining optimal protection and for identifying the gaps in knowledge that are most relevant for radiation protection. “STUK is both an authority and a research centre and Finland has a long tradition in bringing together stakeholders to discuss societal issues related to radiation and nuclear safety”, says Salomaa. The magnitude of risks from exposure to ionising radiation, typical of those encountered in the workplace, the environment and in diagnostic medicine, is an important policy issue. If these risks are overestimated, undue resources will be allocated to dose reduction. In case they are underestimated, the level of protection of the public and the radiation workers would be less than intended. For protection purposes, a generally cautious assumption is adopted that the risk of radiation increases linearly with increasing dose. Risks at higher doses have been assessed directly from epidemiological evidence. The scientific evidence, however, is equivocal and would support various interpretations at low dose, ranging from a linear relationship between risk and dose to various curvilinear relationships, either supporting higher or lower risks. The workshop will also discuss individual sensitivity and review the existing evidence on the link between radiation exposure and circulatory disease. These same topics are also addressed in the European Integrated project NOTE (Non-targeted effects of ionising radiation), coordinated by STUK (http://www.note-ip.org) The workshop is to be at Sokos Hotel Presidentti in Helsinki. The workshop programme can be found in http://www.nea.fr/html/rp/helsinki08/welcome.html Additional information: Page updated 07/01/2009
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