What is the ICRP public dose limit?

What is the ICRP public dose limit?

• A. 1 mSv per year
• B. 20 mSv per year
• C. 5 mSv per year
• D. 0.1 mSv per year

Answer: (A)

Public exposure is limited to 1 mSv per year to protect the general population from the risks of radiation, using the effective dose as the measure of overall risk from all controllable sources (excluding medical procedures and natural background). This lower limit compared with occupational exposure reflects the aim to keep risks to non‑workers, including vulnerable groups, as low as reasonably achievable. For reference, the occupational dose limit is higher—20 mSv per year, averaged over five years with no more than 50 mSv in a single year. The other numbers don’t fit as the standard public limit: 5 mSv per year isn’t a recognized public limit in ICRP guidance, and 0.1 mSv per year is well below typical background levels.

Public exposure is limited to 1 mSv per year to protect the general population from the risks of radiation, using the effective dose as the measure of overall risk from all controllable sources (excluding medical procedures and natural background). This lower limit compared with occupational exposure reflects the aim to keep risks to non‑workers, including vulnerable groups, as low as reasonably achievable. For reference, the occupational dose limit is higher—20 mSv per year, averaged over five years with no more than 50 mSv in a single year. The other numbers don’t fit as the standard public limit: 5 mSv per year isn’t a recognized public limit in ICRP guidance, and 0.1 mSv per year is well below typical background levels.