Journal of Radiation Protection and Research

The Korean Association for Radiation Protection (대한방사선방어학회)
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Conclusions and Suggestions on Low-Dose and Low-Dose Rate Radiation Risk Estimation Methodology

  • Sakai, Kazuo (Higashigaoka Faculty of Nursing, Tokyo Healthcare University) ;
  • Yamada, Yutaka (Department of Radioecology and Fukushima Project, Center for Advanced Radiation Emergency Medicine, Quantum Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology) ;
  • Yoshida, Kazuo (Radiation Safety Research Center, Nuclear Technology Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry) ;
  • Yoshinaga, Shinji (Department of Environmetrics and Biometrics, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University) ;
  • Sato, Kaoru (Environment and Radiation Sciences Division, Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency) ;
  • Ogata, Hiromitsu (Graduate School of Nutrition Sciences, Kagawa Nutrition University) ;
  • Iwasaki, Toshiyasu (Radiation Safety Research Center, Nuclear Technology Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry) ;
  • Kudo, Shin'ichi (Institute of Radiation Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Association) ;
  • Asada, Yasuki (Deviation of Medical Physics, Faculty of Radiological Technology, School of Medical Sciences, Fujita Health University) ;
  • Kawaguchi, Isao (Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology) ;
  • Haeno, Hiroshi (Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo) ;
  • Sasaki, Michiya (Radiation Safety Research Center, Nuclear Technology Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry)
  • Received : 2020.11.27
  • Accepted : 2021.02.01
  • Published : 2021.03.31
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Abstract

Background: For radiological protection and control, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) provides the nominal risk coefficients related to radiation exposure, which can be extrapolated using the excess relative risk and excess absolute risk obtained from the Life Span Study of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF). Materials and Methods: Since it is impossible to directly estimate the radiation risk at doses less than approximately 100 mSv only from epidemiological knowledge and data, support from radiation biology is absolutely imperative, and thus, several national and international bodies have advocated the importance of bridging knowledge between biology and epidemiology. Because of the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011, the exposure of the public to radiation has become a major concern and it was considered that the estimation of radiation risk should be more realistic to cope with the prevailing radiation exposure situation. Results and Discussion: To discuss the issues from wide aspects related to radiological protection, and to realize bridging knowledge between biology and epidemiology, we have established a research group to develop low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation risk estimation methodology, with the permission of the Japan Health Physics Society. Conclusion: The aim of the research group was to clarify the current situation and issues related to the risk estimation of low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation exposure from the viewpoints of different research fields, such as epidemiology, biology, modeling, and dosimetry, to identify a future strategy and roadmap to elucidate a more realistic estimation of risk against low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation exposure.

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