UNSCEAR Report.pdf

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) was established in 1955 to assess the sources and effects of ionizing radiation on human health and the environment. The Committee's mandate includes evaluating global and regional exposures to radiation, reviewing evidence of radiation-induced health effects, and assessing advances in understanding the biological mechanisms of radiation-induced effects.

Exposure to ionizing radiation comes from various sources, including natural background radiation, medical procedures, nuclear weapons testing, electricity generation, and occupational exposures. The Committee's assessments provide the scientific foundation for formulating international standards for protecting the public and workers against ionizing radiation.

The UNSCEAR 2012 report includes two scientific annexes: Annex A, which attributes health effects to ionizing radiation exposure and infers risks, and Annex B, which discusses uncertainties in risk estimates for radiation-induced cancer. The report also covers the Committee's deliberations, completed evaluations, and present program of work, including topics such as the nuclear accident following the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, radiation exposure from electricity generation, and the effects of radiation exposure on children.

Key areas of focus for the Committee include:

Attributing health effects to ionizing radiation exposure and inferring risks
Uncertainties in risk estimates for radiation-induced cancer
Biological effects from selected internal emitters
Epidemiology of low-dose-rate exposures to natural and artificial environmental sources of radiation
* Biological mechanisms of radiation actions at low doses

The Committee's work informs the development of international standards for radiation protection, which are linked to important legal and regulatory instruments. The report is published by the United Nations and is available in print and electronic formats.