How much resources are reasonable to spend on radiological protection?

Area of Science:

• Radiological Protection
• Health Economics
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• Societal resources are finite, necessitating prioritization in spending, including on radiological protection.
• The ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle guides radiation exposure limits, considering economic and societal factors.
• Cost-benefit analysis, using an alpha (α) value, is a common method for determining 'reasonably achievable' radiation protection levels, but requires updated conversion methods for societal costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved method for converting societal costs into an alpha (α) value for radiological protection.
• To provide updated recommendations for alpha (α) values for member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Main Methods:

• Systematic reviews were conducted on societal costs, including the value of statistical life, productivity losses, and healthcare expenses.
• Discount rates and Monte Carlo simulations were employed to model the time between radiation exposure and cancer diagnosis.
• A novel conversion method was developed based on these analyses to establish alpha (α) values.

Main Results:

• The new conversion method resulted in a discounted nominal risk of exposure: a median of 175 (136-222) per 10,000 persons per Sv for the public and 169 (134-207) per 10,000 persons per Sv for workers.
• Recommended alpha (α) values for OECD countries range from $56-170 per man.mSv for the public and $61-162 per man.mSv for workers (2023-USD).

Conclusions:

• The study presents a refined approach to quantifying the value of radiological protection by integrating health economics and updated societal cost data.
• The derived recommendations offer a basis for consistent and economically sound decision-making in radiological protection across OECD nations.