Radiation protection for people and the environment

The purpose of radiation protection is to shield people and the environment from the harmful effects of exposure to ionising and non-ionising radiation. Radiation protection measures are implemented in a range of areas, from workplace health and safety, e.g. in X-ray departments, to managing the legacy of decades of nuclear power generation.

Ionising radiation is extremely high in energy and can therefore cause significant damage to living tissue. Ionising radiation occurs as a product of radioactive decay or can be generated artificially, as with X-radiation, which is used in radiology. Non-ionising radiation is emitted in high-frequency electromagnetic fields (telecoms) and extremely low-frequency electric and magnetic fields (power lines), for example, and also occurs as ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

The public is also exposed to radiation from natural sources. Radon, a noble gas that is present in the air, breaks down into radioactive decay products which enter the human body when inhaled. Natural radionuclides are ingested with food. Cosmic radiation and terrestrial radiation are further sources of exposure. In Germany, the annual effective dose from this natural radiation exposure amounts to 2.1 millisieverts on average, albeit with marked regional variation.