The Response of the National Radiological Protection Board to the Report of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters (CERRIE)

Author(s):

R Cox, C R Muirhead and J D Harrison

Summary:

This report summarises the key issues addressed in the CERRIE report, the various conclusions reached and the position of NRPB with regard to the differing views expressed within CERRIE. This response was developed in February/March 2005 for the Department of Health. NRPB was merged into the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on 1 April 2005 and the views expressed in this response may now be taken to represent those of the Radiation Protection Division of the HPA.

The foreword to the document is given below.

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NRPB response (PDF, 54 KB)

Foreword

During the period December 2001 to October 2004 the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters (CERRIE) undertook scientific reviews and analyses in order to meet the objective 'to consider present risk models for radiation and health that apply to exposure to radiation from internal radionuclides in the light of recent studies and to identify any further research that may be needed'. (www.cerrie.org).

CERRIE had been set up after an announcement in 2001 by the then Environment Minister, Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP , that a working group would be set up with the following remit - ' to consider present risk models for radiation and health they apply to exposure to radiation from internal radionuclides in the light of recent studies and to identify any further research that may be needed'. The group, later known as CERRIE was therefore set up with the composition as directed by the Minister. Although established under the auspices of the Department of Health (DH) advisory Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) with funding from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and DH, CERRIE functioned independently of COMARE and of government. The former National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) provided three members to CERRIE and the Committee received other scientific inputs from NRPB staff.

The CERRIE Report was published in October 2004 ( www.cerrie.org [outside link]) and was the subject of a published response from COMARE, ( www.comare.org.uk [outside link]). Subsequently, the DH requested from NRPB staff a summary of the key issues addressed in the CERRIE report, the various conclusions reached and the position of NRPB with regard to the differing views expressed within CERRIE. This response was developed in February/March 2005, provided to DH; the text is reproduced in the document. NRPB was merged into the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on 1 April 2005 and the views expressed in this response may now be taken to represent those of the Radiation Protection Division of the HPA.

Last reviewed: 19 December 2008