Radiation-induced cataracts: governmental safety aspects

Despite relative ease of treatment, radiation induced cataracts are still the most frequent cause of blindness worldwide. Recent advances have demonstrated that the lens is more radiosensitive than was previously thought and that occupational radiation exposure leads to a small but genuine increase in the risk of radiation cataract for workers, for instance hospital based interventional radiologists and cardiologists. As a result of this and other work, the ICRP recommended to reduce the dose limit from 150 to 20 mSv/year (averaged over 5 years with no single year exceeding 50 mSv). This recommendation has recently been incorporated in the EU Basic Safety Standards in full, with member states required to comply from February 2018.

This presentation will outline the epidemiological and mechanistic research upon which the new limits are based; consider the implications for radiation protection in terms of who will be affected, what will need to be measured and how individuals can be protected and, finally, discuss the specific scientific gaps and research needs in order for the relevant authorities to ensure individual radiation workers and members of the public are adequately protected against radiation induced cataracts.