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• Radiotoxicity hazard classification: the basis and development of a new list (PDF 377 KB)

About the report

The new ICRP recommendations contained in ICRP Publications 60 (ICRP 1991a) and& 61 (ICRP 1991b) mean that all radiological regulations, standards and codes of practice based on the earlier recommendations need to be reviewed and revised.

In Australia national recommendations on radiation protection are promulgated by the National Health and Medical Research Council and these are used by the Standards Association of Australia, National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (Worksafe Australia), state governments and other bodies, in their standards, codes and regulations.

As part of the review and revision process, NHMRC and SAA recognised the need to produce a new radiotoxicity hazard classification, and formed a small working party to carry out this task. This paper is the report of the working party and summarises the work carried out and presents the recommendations for the revised radiotoxicity hazard classification.

Previous classifications have been examined and the basis for such classifications has been considered. The working party propose that the most appropriate basis is the most restrictive inhalation ALI, and that there is a need to consider this ALI in terms of both mass and activity. Using an index based on mass and activity, the radionuclides listed in ICRP 61 have been divided into four classes of radiotoxicity hazard. This list of revised radiotoxicity hazard class is presented in the paper and a floppy disk of the data is available.