Radiation exposure of a population due to diagnostic x-ray examinations: some critical remarks

From the figures and the statistics obtained from radiological examinations carried out annually, the 'mean annual bone marrow dose' or the annual 'genetically significant gonadal dose' of a population can be calculated. In this study the irradiation parameters corresponded approximately to those reported by some 200 doctors. The testes and ovarian doses were measured with TL dosemeters inside a phantom; the bone marrow dose was determined using the same dosemeters inserted at 55 points in the phantom. The measured values were finally computer transformed into the mean doses per examination that would have been obtained had each measurement been carried out using the parameters to which x-ray units are actually set by doctors. The use of different methods for determining gonadal dose makes it practically impossible to draw conclusions about possible over-utilisation of radiological procedures in the country in question. The same applies for the average exposure per inhabitant, i.e. the sum of the experimentally determined gonadal doses of all the people examined by radiology in one year, divided by the population of a country. It would therefore be greatly appreciated if a certain amount of standardisation as regards measuring methods and the selection of irradiation parameters could be introduced at international level.