Professional paper

Ionizing radiation exposure of the population of Croatia

F. Petrović ; Opća bolnica „Dr. M. Stojanović“ i Centralni higijenski zavod, Zagreb
K. Margreitner ; Opća bolnica „Dr. M. Stojanović“ i Centralni higijenski zavod, Zagreb

Abstract

Data have been collected on the exposure of the population of Croatia to various sources of ionizing radiation. This study, being one of the first of its kind in this country, has no pretension of being complete, but it may serve well as a starting point for further investigations. The main source of exposure to radiation is shown to be X-ray diagnostic procedures amounting to 99.72% of the total exposure to radiation, and in the total professional exposure it amounts to 91,9%. Other sources of ionizing radiation as applied in medicine (radium, radioactive izotopes etc.), and non-medical X-ray sources in particular, may consequently be neglected in this analysis. Owing to some administrative regulations diagnostic X-rays seem to have very often been used too frequently and without full justification. The authors have been specially concerned with the unnecessary irradiation of pregnant women and healthy young people, the more so because the population of Yugoslavia is comparatively very »young« by its structure (46,5% under 25), and the hazard of deleterious genetic changes produced by radiation is very high. It is strongly recommended that in order to minimize radiation exposure of the population stricter medical criteria should be applied in the use of X-ray diagnostic procedures. More attention should also be paid to the improvement of X-ray installations, the methods for the use of radiation sources, as well as to adequate radiation safety measures.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

182741

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/182741

Publication date:

16.3.1960.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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