Occupational exposures of Chinese medical radiation workers in 1986-2000

Data on occupational exposures from medical uses of radiation in China during 1986-2000 are presented. Individual dose monitoring results in the reports of monitoring centres in different provinces in China during 1986-2000 were collected as the basic data. These data were summarised and then analysed. From 1986 to 2000, in diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy, the annual collective effective doses varied within the range 122.4-206.6, 5.4-9.3 and 4.1-10.3 man Sv, respectively; the average annual effective dose in these categories varied within the range 1.5-2.2, 1.2-1.6 and 1.0-1.5 mSv, respectively. Almost all the average annual effective doses in medical uses of radiation were < 3 mSv in 1986-2000, and no monitored workers were found to have received an occupational exposure > 50 mSv in a single year or > 100 mSv in a 5-y period. After 1990, the protection status of medical radiation workers in China was sufficient.