Radiation protection

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Radiation protection

Radiation protection

Humans are exposed to radiation, both by human activity and of natural origin. Exposure to radon in homes and exposures for medical purposes are the main sources of exposure to ionizing radiation in the population. Much attention is also aroused by the growing exposures to non-ionizing radiation related to technological media.

Since its foundation, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS, the National Institute of Health in Italy) has always protected and promoted public health from the risks deriving from exposure to radiation, including their optimized use in the medical field for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This activity is also carried out through national and international collaborations (e.g., since 2018, a WHO Collaboration Center on "Radiation and health" has been operating in ISS).

Radiation is characterized according to their ability to ionize the matter they strike, that is to modify the number of electrons of an atom, which corresponds to various possible damages to the exposed organisms:

  • ionizing radiation (X and gamma rays and subatomic particles, e.g. alpha particles)
  • non-ionizing radiation (low energy electromagnetic waves, ultrasound)
  • Ionizing radiation can penetrate the human body from the outside (for example, during a radiographic examination) or from the inside following the inhalation or ingestion of the so-called radioactive isotopes (e.g., the inhalation of radon present in homes or ingestion of isotopes present in food following contamination from nuclear accidents).

The information on this site is intended to help inform about radiation sources, exposure levels and related health risks, based on ISS research, consultancy and coordination activities.

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National center for radiation protection and computational physics

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Radiation protection

Back Radioactivity in drinking water and food

Exposure to natural sources of ionizing radiation includes, among others, that deriving from the ingestion of radionuclides present in food and water intended for human consumption. This type of exposure, and it should be clarified, is attributable to radionuclides naturally contained in the earth's crust which, due to physical phenomena of different nature, end up in food and water. The United Nations Scientific Commission (UNSCEAR - United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) on the effects of radiation estimates that, on average, about 12% of an individual's overall exposure to natural sources of radiation is attributable precisely to ingestion of food and water consumption.

This first source of exposure, due to radionuclides of natural origin, is superimposed on that attributable to anthropogenic radionuclides (present in water and food due to human activities).

The World Health Organization (WHO) does not differentiate between natural and artificial radionuclides in the assessment of the population risk but does so in relation to control strategies. But it is worth pointing out that the natural origin of radionuclides contained in water and food is not automatically associated with a lower risk; and generally, the radionuclides naturally present in the earth's crust, which end up dissolved in water and contained in food, contribute most to the exposure of individuals.

Special mention should be made of radon, a radioactive gas which can be found in water, especially in those of underground origin (groundwater and spring water), and which can easily change from the aqueous phase into the gas phase and accumulate in closed environments, including domestic ones. As a demonstration of this, of all the radon originating from a water source only 10% is ingested, and 90% is through inhalation.

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS, Italian National Institute of Health) and the Ministry of Health have specific tasks of addressing and coordinating the control of radioactivity in water intended for human consumption, as established by Legislative Decree 28/2016 (which transposed Directive 2013/51 / Euratom), and the subsequent decree of the Minister of Health of 2/8/2017. These decrees establish the requirements for the protection of the health of the population with regard to radioactive substances present in water intended for human consumption.

Guidelines and documetns of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Guidelines for drinking water: 4th edition plus 1rst addendum 2018

Management of Radioactivity in Drinking-Water 2018

 

Dipartimenti/Centri/Servizi

National center for radiation protection and computational physics

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Radiation protection Protection from radioactivity in drinking water

Elenco Argomenti