Alongside our colleagues in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we have published a new report assessing the radiation exposure received from medical exposures, our diet and environmental exposures.
The Ionising Radiation – National Dose Report assessed the average radiation doses received by the Irish population.
The assessment, carried out jointly by HIQA and the EPA, found the average dose remains similar to that found a decade ago in a 2014 report.
In line with our remit to regulate medical exposures to ionising radiation, we issued diagnostic reference level surveys to health services providing medical exposures (excluding radiotherapy treatments) to calculate the average dose a patient received.
Agnella Craig, our Regional Manager for Ionising Radiation, said: “The assessment found that over 99% of the average radiation dose comes from natural sources of radiation — such as natural gases radon and thoron — and medical exposures such as X-rays and CT scans. Medical exposure alone accounted for just over 10% of a person’s total exposure or dose.
“We reviewed information about radiation exposure to patients, finding that the average amount of radiation from medical exposure has decreased over the past 10 years. HIQA began regulating ionising radiation facilities in 2019, and we have seen increased compliance with the regulations year-on-year. We believe the overall reduction of exposure to patients is in part due to improvements such as optimising medical exposures and increased access to new and improved medical imaging.”
The report can be read in full on our website here.