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Published on: December 14, 2017
The ALARA principle in the context of a radiological or nuclear emergency
Stephen V Musolino1, Joseph DeFranco, Richard Schlueck
1Brookhaven National Laboratory, Nonproliferation and National Security Department, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA. musolino@bnl.gov
Abstract:
Traditionally, the concept of As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) has been applied to the workplace and to protect the public. The goals are to minimize small incremental exposures on a daily basis or per specific task, and on a yearly basis, thereby to keep the total annual dose equivalent as far below regulatory limits as practical. In an extreme emergency caused by radiological or nuclear terrorism, or a large scale radiological accident, it is proposed that the same principles can be applied to protect First Responders against potentially large exposures.
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