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Editorial
ON FLUENCE AND FLUENCY
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INTRODUCTION
One obligation of the radiological protection profession must surely be to provide governments and other appropriate authorities with clear and authoritative advice that will permit the development and maintenance of safe operating conditions that will safeguard the health of those likely to be exposed, in whatever capacity, to ionizing radiations.
NEUTRONS ‘THE CINDERELLA’
Are neutrons the stepchild of the recommendations? In contrast to the advice currently available for protection against external exposure to low-energy photons, or to the absorption of radionuclides in the body (‘internal emitters’) there is, in the opinion of the writers, much yet to be done for both high-energy and high-LET radiations in general and for neutrons in particular.
HIGH-LET AND HIGH-ENERGY RADIATIONS
It is important to emphasize exposure to neutrons. The issues of neutron-dosimetry have been with us for many years.
High-LET exposures (neutrons) make up 10–20% of radiation worker exposures (comparable with the percentage of exposures due to ‘internal emitters’). Air- and
NEW ICRP RECOMMENDATIONS
FLUENCE
FLUENCE IN LANGUAGE
Moraga, California
Editor-in-Chief