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The entire population of France is exposed to ionising
radiationof natural or anthropogenic origin, but todifferent
extents across the country. The average exposure of the
Frenchpopulation is estimated at 4.5mSv (see diagram 1)
per person per year, but this exposure is subject to wide
individual variability, particularly depending on the place
of residence and the number of radiological examinations
received (source: IRSN2015); the average annual individual
effective dose can thus vary by a factor of up to5depending
on the
département.
Diagram1 represents an estimate of the
respective contributions of the various sources of exposure
to ionising radiation for the French population.
These data are however still too imprecise to allow
identification of the most exposed categories or groups
of individuals for each exposure source category.
3.1 Doses received by workers
3.1.1 Exposure of nuclear workers
The system for monitoring the external exposure of
persons liable to be exposed to ionising radiation,
working in BNIs or in small-scale nuclear facilities,
has been in place for several decades. This system is
primarily based on the mandatory wearing of a passive
dosimeter by workers liable to be exposed and it is
used to check compliance with the regulation limits
applicable to workers: these limits concern, on the one
hand, the total exposure (since 2003, the annual limit,
SOURCES AND ROUTES OF EXPOSURE
to ionising radiation
External irradiation
internal contamination by inhalation of radioactive substances
Contaneous contamination
External irradiation
internal contamination by ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs
Contaneous contamination and involuntary ingestion
NUMBER OF PERSONS
MONITORED
COLLECTIVE DOSE
(man-Sv*)
INDIVIDUAL DOSE
> 20 mSv
Reactors and energy production (EDF)
25,179
6.57
0
Fuel cycle; decommissioning
8,934
2.28
0
Transport
602
0.09
0
Logistics and maintenance (contractors)
12,219
8.52
0
Others
20,949
6.85
0
TABLE 1:
Monitoring of external exposure of nuclear workers (year 2014)
Source: IRSN.
NUMBER OF PERSONS
MONITORED
COLLECTIVE DOSE
(man-Sv*)
INDIVIDUAL DOSE
> 20 mSv
Medicine
132,144
11.68
6
Dental
49,668
2.1
1
Veterinary
20,051
0.44
0
Industry
33,631
14.71
1
Research
13,122
0.40
0
Miscellaneous
24,150
1.42
0
TABLE 2:
Monitoring of external exposure of workers in small-scale nuclear activities (year 2014)
Source: IRSN.
* Man-Sv (man-sievert): the SI unit for collective dose. For information, the collective dose is the sum of the individual doses received by a given
group of persons.
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CHAPTER 01:
NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES: IONISING RADIATION AND HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015