International Radiation Protection Association

Last updated
International Radiation Protection Association
AbbreviationIRPA
Formation19 June 1965
Region
Global
President
Bernard le Guen
Vice-President
Christopher Clement
Website www.irpa.net

The International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) is an independent non-profit association of national and regional radiation protection societies, and its mission is to advance radiation protection throughout the world. It is the international professional association for radiation protection. [1]

Contents

IRPA is recognized by the IAEA as a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) and is an observer on the IAEA Radiation Safety Standards Committee (RASSC). [2]

IRPA was formed on June 19, 1965, at a meeting in Los Angeles; stimulated by the desire of radiation protection professionals to have a world-wide body. Membership includes 50 Associate Societies covering 65 countries, totaling approximately 18,000 individual members. [3] [4]

International policy relationships in radiological protection International policy system radiological protection.png
International policy relationships in radiological protection

Structure

The General Assembly, made up of representatives from the Associate Societies, is the representative body of the Association. It delegates authority to the Executive Council for the efficient administration of the affairs of the Association.

Specific duties are carried out by IRPA Commissions, Committees, Task Groups and Working Groups:

Associate societies

The following is a list of the 50 Associate Societies (covering 65 countries):

StateMember OrganisationDate of membership [5]
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Sociedad Argentina de Radioprotección1966
Australasian Australasian Radiation Protection Society

(Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia & Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand)

1976 for Australia

1999 for Australasian

Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Österreichischer Verband für Strahlenschutz1966
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Belgian Association for Radiological Protection1965
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica1989
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Bulgarian Association of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection2007
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon Cameroon Radiological Protection Society2013
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Canadian Radiation Protection Association 1979
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Chinese Society of Radiation Protection1989
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia Asociación Colombiana de Protección Radiológica2008
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Croatian Radiation Protection Association1992
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Cuban Physics Society, Radiation Protection Section1997
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus Cyprus Association of Medical Physics and BioMeedical Engineering1992
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Czech Society for Radiation Protection1968
Eastern AfricaEastern Africa Association for Radiation Protection

(Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi, Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia, Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya, Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda, Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia, Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania, Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda)

2004
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt IRPA Egypt Radiation Protection1992
Flag of France.svg  France Société Française de Radioprotection 1965
German-SwissGerman-Swiss Association for Radiation Protection

(Flag of Germany.svg  Germany & Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland)

1965
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Ghana Association for Radiation Protection2016
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Greek Radiation Protection Association1988
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Health Physics Section of the Roland Eötvös Physical Society1966
Flag of India.svg  India Indian Association for Radiation Protection1969
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Iranian Radiation Protection Society2011
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Irish Radiation Research Society1984
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Israel Society for Radiation Protection1965
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Associazione Italiana di Radioprotezione1965
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Japan Health Physics Society1965
Flag of Korea (1899).svg  Korea Korean Society for Radiation Protection  [ ko ]1976
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Radiacines saugos centras2002
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires1999
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia Malaysian Radiation Protection Association2006
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Sociedad Mexicana de Seguridad Radiológica1976
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Association Marocaine de Radioprotection2004
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Nederlandse Vereniging voor Stralingshygiëne1965
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria Nigeria Society for Radiation Protection2016
NordicNordic Society for Radiation Protection

(Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, Flag of Finland.svg  Finland, Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland, Flag of Norway.svg  Norway, Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden)

1965
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru Sociedad Peruana de Radioproteccion1989
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines Philippine Association for Radiation Protection1966
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Polskie Towarzystwo Fizyki Medycznej1970
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Sociedade Portuguesa De Protecção Contra Radiacoes1995
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Societatea Romana De Radioprotectie1992
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Sectiya Radiazionnoy Gigieny of Russia1972
Serbia-MontenegroRadiation Protection Society of Serbia and Montenegro

(Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia & Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro)

Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovak Republic Slovak Society of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Hygiene1995
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia Radiation Protection Association of Slovenia1992
Southern AfricaSouthern African Radiation Protection Association

(Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa, Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia, Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana)

1969
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Sociedad Española de Protección Radiológica [6] 1982
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia Tunisian Radiation Protection Society2015
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Society for Radiological Protection 1965
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay Uruguayan Society of Radioprotection1999
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Health Physics Society 1965
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela Sociedad Venezolana de Protección Radiológica2012

List of International Congresses

The 2032 Congress (IRPA18) will be in Australia.

The 2028 Congress (IRPA17) will be in Spain.

Past Congresses

IRPA 16 Orlando, July 2024

IRPA 15 Seoul, January 2021

IRPA 14 Cape Town, May 2016

IRPA 13 Glasgow, May 2012

IRPA 12 Buenos Aires, October 2008

IRPA 11 Madrid, May 2004

IRPA 10 Hiroshima, May 2000

IRPA 9 Vienna, April 1996

IRPA 8 Montreal, May 1992

IRPA 7 Sydney, April 1988

IRPA 6 Berlin, May 1984

IRPA 5 Jerusalem, March 1980

IRPA 4 Paris, April 1977

IRPA 3 Washington, September 1973

IRPA 2 Brighton, May 1970

IRPA 1 Rome, September 1966

International Cooperation

IRPA maintains relations with many other international organizations in the field of radiation protection, such as those listed here.

Inter-Governmental Organizations

IAEA- International Atomic Energy Agency
ILO- International Labour Organization
NEA- Nuclear Energy Agency
UNSCEAR- United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation
WHO- World Health Organization

Non-Governmental Organizations

ICNIRP- International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
ICRP- International Commission on Radiological Protection
ICRU- International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements
ISO- International Organization for Standardization

Professional Organizations

IOMP - International Organization for Medical Physics
ISR - International Society of Radiology
ISRO - International Society for Radiation Oncology
WFNMB - World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology

Awards

Rolf M. Sievert Award

Commencing with the 1973 IRPA Congress, each International Congress has been opened by the Sievert Lecture which is presented by the winner of the Sievert Award. This award is in honour of Rolf M. Sievert, a pioneer in radiation physics and radiation protection.

The Sievert Award consists of a suitable scroll, certificate or parchment, containing the name of the recipient, the date it is presented, and an indication that the award honours the memory of Professor Rolf M. Sievert.

The recipients of the Sievert Award are listed below:

See also

Related Research Articles

Background radiation is a measure of the level of ionizing radiation present in the environment at a particular location which is not due to deliberate introduction of radiation sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sievert</span> SI unit of equivalent dose of ionizing radiation

The sievert is a unit in the International System of Units (SI) intended to represent the stochastic health risk of ionizing radiation, which is defined as the probability of causing radiation-induced cancer and genetic damage. The sievert is important in dosimetry and radiation protection. It is named after Rolf Maximilian Sievert, a Swedish medical physicist renowned for work on radiation dose measurement and research into the biological effects of radiation.

Ionizing radiation, including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel up to 99% of the speed of light, and the electromagnetic waves are on the high-energy portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Radiation protection, also known as radiological protection, is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The protection of people from harmful effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, and the means for achieving this". Exposure can be from a source of radiation external to the human body or due to internal irradiation caused by the ingestion of radioactive contamination.

Equivalent dose is a dose quantity H representing the stochastic health effects of low levels of ionizing radiation on the human body which represents the probability of radiation-induced cancer and genetic damage. It is derived from the physical quantity absorbed dose, but also takes into account the biological effectiveness of the radiation, which is dependent on the radiation type and energy. In the SI system of units, the unit of measure is the sievert (Sv).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health physics</span> Branch of physics focused on radiation protection

Health physics, also referred to as the science of radiation protection, is the profession devoted to protecting people and their environment from potential radiation hazards, while making it possible to enjoy the beneficial uses of radiation. Health physicists normally require a four-year bachelor’s degree and qualifying experience that demonstrates a professional knowledge of the theory and application of radiation protection principles and closely related sciences. Health physicists principally work at facilities where radionuclides or other sources of ionizing radiation are used or produced; these include research, industry, education, medical facilities, nuclear power, military, environmental protection, enforcement of government regulations, and decontamination and decommissioning—the combination of education and experience for health physicists depends on the specific field in which the health physicist is engaged.

The roentgen equivalent man (rem) is a CGS unit of equivalent dose, effective dose, and committed dose, which are dose measures used to estimate potential health effects of low levels of ionizing radiation on the human body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radioactive contamination</span> Undesirable radioactive elements on surfaces or in gases, liquids, or solids

Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases, where their presence is unintended or undesirable.

In radiation physics, kerma is an acronym for "kinetic energy released per unit mass", defined as the sum of the initial kinetic energies of all the charged particles liberated by uncharged ionizing radiation in a sample of matter, divided by the mass of the sample. It is defined by the quotient .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linear no-threshold model</span> Deprecated model predicting health effects of radiation

The linear no-threshold model (LNT) is a dose-response model used in radiation protection to estimate stochastic health effects such as radiation-induced cancer, genetic mutations and teratogenic effects on the human body due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The model assumes a linear relationship between dose and health effects, even for very low doses where biological effects are more difficult to observe. The LNT model implies that all exposure to ionizing radiation is harmful, regardless of how low the dose is, and that the effect is cumulative over lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolf Maximilian Sievert</span> Swedish medical physicist, professor

Rolf Maximilian Sievert was a Swedish medical physicist whose major contribution was in the study of the biological effects of ionizing radiation.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is an independent, international, non-governmental organization, with the mission to protect people, animals, and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation. Its recommendations form the basis of radiological protection policy, regulations, guidelines and practice worldwide.

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) is a standardization body set up in 1925 by the International Congress of Radiology, originally as the X-Ray Unit Committee until 1950. Its objective "is to develop concepts, definitions and recommendations for the use of quantities and their units for ionizing radiation and its interaction with matter, in particular with respect to the biological effects induced by radiation".

Radiobiology is a field of clinical and basic medical sciences that involves the study of the effects of ionizing radiation on living things, in particular health effects of radiation. Ionizing radiation is generally harmful and potentially lethal to living things but can have health benefits in radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer and thyrotoxicosis. Its most common impact is the induction of cancer with a latent period of years or decades after exposure. High doses can cause visually dramatic radiation burns, and/or rapid fatality through acute radiation syndrome. Controlled doses are used for medical imaging and radiotherapy.

The collective effective dose, dose quantity S, is calculated as the sum of all individual effective doses over the time period or during the operation being considered due to ionizing radiation. It can be used to estimate the total health effects of a process or accidental release involving ionizing radiation to an exposed population. The total collective dose is the dose to the exposed human population between the time of release until its elimination from the environment, perhaps integrating to time equals infinity. However, doses are generally reported for specific populations and a stated time interval. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) states: "To avoid aggregation of low individual doses over extended time periods and wide geographical regions the range in effective dose and the time period should be limited and specified.

Patients are exposed to ionizing radiation when they undergo diagnostic examinations using x-rays or radiopharmaceuticals. Radiation emitted by radioisotopes or radiation generators is utilized in therapy for cancer or benign lesions and also in interventional procedures using fluoroscopy. There has been a tremendous increase in the use of ionizing radiation in medicine during recent decades and health professionals and patients are concerned about the harmful effects of radiation. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established a program on radiological protection of patients in recognition of the increasing importance of this topic. The emphasis in the past had been on radiation protection of staff and this has helped to reduce radiation doses to staff at levels well below the limits prescribed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and accepted by most countries. The recent emphasis on radiation protection of patients is helping in developing strategies to reduce radiation doses to patients without compromising on diagnostic or therapeutic purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roentgen (unit)</span> Measurement of radiation exposure

The roentgen or röntgen is a legacy unit of measurement for the exposure of X-rays and gamma rays, and is defined as the electric charge freed by such radiation in a specified volume of air divided by the mass of that air . In 1928, it was adopted as the first international measurement quantity for ionizing radiation to be defined for radiation protection, as it was then the most easily replicated method of measuring air ionization by using ion chambers. It is named after the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen, who discovered X-rays and was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banana equivalent dose</span> Informal measurement of ionizing radiation exposure

Banana equivalent dose (BED) is an informal unit of measurement of ionizing radiation exposure, intended as a general educational example to compare a dose of radioactivity to the dose one is exposed to by eating one average-sized banana. Bananas contain naturally occurring radioactive isotopes, particularly potassium-40 (40K), one of several naturally occurring isotopes of potassium. One BED is often correlated to 10−7 sievert ; however, in practice, this dose is not cumulative, as the potassium in foods is excreted in urine to maintain homeostasis. The BED is only meant as an educational exercise and is not a formally adopted dose measurement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madan M. Rehani</span>

Madan M. Rehani is an Indian-born medical physicist.

Caridad Borrás is a Spanish medical physicist. Her career started in 1964 at the Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona. From 1988 to 2000, she was Regional Advisor of the Radiological Health Program and, from 2000 to 2002, Coordinator of Essential Drugs and Technology at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington D.C.

References

  1. IRPA. "History of IRPA". International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA. IRPA. Retrieved 14 July 2017.)
  2. IRPA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL REPORT FOR THE TERM 2012 – 2016. "IRPA Executive report 2012-2016" (PDF). IRPA. Retrieved 17 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. "International Radiation Protection Association official website, More about IRPA" . Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  4. César (2023-01-13). "Sociedades científicas aconsejan minimizar la contaminación electromagnética del uso del móvil". Tercera Información (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  5. "IRPA - Admission of Associate Societies". www.irpa.net. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  6. Sociedad Española de Protección Radiológica