Problems in the application of ICRP recommendations to the assessment and recording of doses to workers

The introduction of the committed effective dose equivalent concept and the specification of annual limits on intake for radionuclides by ICRP are likely to cause a shift in the emphasis in the monitoring of plutonium workers from measurements made on their bodies and excreta to measurements made with personal and static air samplers. This shift prompts a reconsideration of whether the proper objective of individual monitoring is the assessment of doses to workers or a demonstration of acceptable working conditions. The equations suggested by ICRP for demonstrating compliance with dose limits contain elements of both objectives and raise questions of the compatibility of the dose quantities involved. Resolving these questions may lead to changes in the methods of dose recording and presentation.