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Editorial

The new dose limit for the lens of the eye

and its implications
For many years in the International Commission
on Radiological Protection (ICRP) publications, eye
lens equivalent dose (H lens) has been reported as
limiting quantity and a value of 150 mSv/y has been
recommended in ICRP publication 60 (1991). The ICRP
publication 103 (2007) provided updated information
on dose thresholds for deterministic effects. The
criterion used by the ICRP to define a threshold for any
tissue reaction is the amount of radiation to cause the
effect to be observable clinically in 1% of the exposed
individuals. On this basis, the Commission judged that
the occupational dose limit for the lens of the eye given
in the ICRP publication 60 (1991) remained applicable.
However, it was commented that new data on the radiosensitivity of the eye were expected and stated that the
Commission would consider those data when they
became available. Subsequently, the ICRP reviewed the
recent epidemiological evidence suggesting that there are
some tissue reaction effects, particularly those with very
late manifestation, where threshold doses are or might
be lower than previously considered. A statement was
issued by the ICRP in this regard in April, 2011.
Subsequently, the Commission has brought out an ICRP
Publication 118 (2012) on ICRP Statement on Tissue
Reactions and Early and Late Effects of Radiation in
Normal Tissues and Organs Threshold Doses for
Tissue Reactions in a Radiation Protection Context.
For the lens of the eye, the threshold in absorbed dose is
now considered to be 0.5 Gy. For occupational exposure
in planned exposure situations, the Commission
recommends an equivalent dose limit for the lens of
the eye of 20 mSv in a year, averaged over the defined
periods of 5 years, with no single year exceeding 50
mSv. This new recommendation has been included
in the revised International Basic Safety Standards of
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA-BSS-2011).
This has led to scientific debates in various forums, and
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DOI:
10.4103/0972-0464.111401

national and regional bodies responsible for radiation

protection and regulations find it necessary to assess its
impact in the existing programs on radiation protection
and safety, particularly in the practice of interventional
radiology and cardiology (IR/IC). Due to lowering of the
annual dose limit for the eye lens from 150 mSv to 20 mSv
(i.e., by a factor of 7.5) for occupational exposures, the
radiation protection requirements for protecting the eye
and monitoring the dose to the lens of the eyes to comply
with the new dose limit are now more demanding than
formerly assumed.
The International Commission on Radiation Units
(ICRU) recommendations (ICRU 47, 1993) introduced the
personal dose equivalent Hp(d) for individual monitoring.
Hp(d) is defined as the dose equivalent in soft tissue, at
an appropriate depth, d (mm), below a specified point on
the body. Hp(10) is indicated for the whole body exposure
evaluation, Hp(0.07) for the extremities and Hp(3) for
eye lens dosimetry. Hp(3) dosimeters are designed to
monitor the eye lens dose, Hlens, as the radiation-sensitive
part of the lens lies about 3 mm within the eye. In order
to comply its theoretical definition, ICRU-57 (1998) and
ICRP-74 (1996) introduced a simplified 30 cm 30 cm
15 cm 4-element ICRU slab phantom in which sets of
conversion coefficients between measurable quantities
(e.g., fluence or air kerma) and Hp(d) were calculated.
Data for Hp(3) are not available in the reports but were
evaluated, on the same phantom by Till et al.[1]
One of the major issues is regarding development of
methods for dosimetry of the eye lens using suitable
phantom(s) and calibration procedures. The first
systematic efforts in this direction have been made
under the Optimization of Radiation Protection of
Medical Staff (ORAMED) project, where coordinated
measurements on occupationally exposed medical staff
were performed in different hospitals in Europe (www.
oramed-fp7.eu). This collaborative project (2008-2011)
was supported by the European Commission within
its seventh framework programme. The main objective
was to obtain a set of standardized data on extremity
and eye lens doses for staff involved in IR/IC and to
optimize radiation protection aspects. Special attention
was given to the measurement of the dose to the eye
lens. Under the project, a new eye lens dosimeter
responding in terms of HP(3) was designed, optimized
and tested.[2,3]

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Bhatt: The new dose limit for the lens of the eye and its implications

The dosimeter consists of an LiF: Mg,Cu,P (MCP-N)

thermoluminescent (TL) detector (in the form of pellet
4.5 mm 0.9 mm) inside a polyamide capsule, with a
wall thickness of 3 mm. The dosimeter holder enables
comfortable wearing it on a head, at position fixed
close to an eye. The test measurements and Monte
Carlo calculations of the photon energy response and
angular response produced very satisfactory results;
all obtained values were within about 20% around
unity (with respect to Cs-137). The dosimeter fulfills
all requirements for its application in dosimetry in
IR. The dosimeter was named EYE-D and is the first
dosimeter available commercially from the RADCARD
company. It is stated that the construction and energy
response of the dosimeter tend to suggest that it can
be applied without any modifications for typical betaray radiation fields encountered in nuclear medicine.
Appropriate recommendations for type tests of passive
eye lens dosimeters measuring the quantity H p(3)
are contained in a recently published standard of the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): IEC
62387 (2012).
A new 20 cm high 20 cm diameter cylinder recently
suggested by the ORAMED project (www.oramed-fp7.
eu) for eye lens dosimetry, as the use of a new cylindrical
phantom, more representative of the head, allows the
calculation of a useful set of conversion coefficients
Hp(3)/Ka for the reference X-ray beams for use in type
test and calibration purposes.[4] In parallel with the
ORAMED project activities on the operational quantity,
detailed computational studies on the HT (eye lens) both
for electrons and photons were carried out by Behrens
and Dietze[5] and Behrens et al.,[6] with an improved
model of the eye.
Behrens [7] has commented that the slab phantom
is widely available and has been in use in many
calibration laboratories for many years, whereas
cylinder phantoms would have to be produced and
made commercially available. It has been suggested[8]
that in pure photon radiation fields, e.g., in IR,
Hp(0.07) dosimeters calibrated on a slab phantom are
appropriate to monitor the lens dose when worn near
the eye and if they detect radiation scattered back from
the head (which is usually the case when their back
consists of thin plastic). There are many commercially
available extremity dosimeters (e.g., TL and optically
stimulated luminescence (OSL) ring dosimeters) which
may be useful for monitoring eye dose in pure photon
fields. In beta radiation fields, e.g., in nuclear medicine,
Hp(0.07) dosimeters may overestimate the lens dose by
a factor of 100 or more. Thus, they are unsuitable for
this application. In radiation fields dominated by beta
radiation dosimeters calibrated in terms of Hp(3) on a
slab phantom should be used.
2

As per Landauers product catalogue nanoDot Al2O3: C

OSL dosimeters can be used for eye dose monitoring.
Using a single collar dosimeter outside the lead apron is
a common practice in many countries, including UK, and
can be used to give a direct measure of eye dose (using
Hp(3) or Hp(0.07)) plus an indication of the whole body
dose. A below apron dosimeter may additionally be
required if the collar badge reading is high, but formulae
to determine effective dose would be needed.[9]
Active personal dosimeters (APDs) have been found
to be very efficient tools to reduce occupational doses
in many applications of ionizing radiation, but exhibit
limitations in pulsed radiation fields. A study concerning
the optimization of the use of APDs in IR/IC was
performed in the framework of the ORAMED project.[10]
Results indicate that most of APDs provide a response
in pulsed mode more or less affected by the personal
dose equivalent rate, which means they could be used
in routine monitoring provided that correction factors
are introduced. These results emphasized the importance
of adding tests in pulsed mode in type-test procedures
for APDs.
There is a general opinion that if the dose limit for the lens
of the eye is reduced to 20 mSv, with higher workload,
many physicians could exceed this limit. Therefore, as
a measure of the optimization of radiation protection,
in addition to the routine monitoring of eye dose, the
proper use of radiation protective devices, such as ceiling
suspended shields, lead glass spectacles will even be more
important. Training in radiation protection is crucial for
Medical Physicists, Interventional Radiologists and
Cardiologists, Paramedical Staff, Radiation Protection
Officers, University Lecturers.
There is a need to collate all these international
efforts to produce a document which should provide
specific guidelines in respect of suitable dosimeters for
monitoring photon and electron dose to the eye lens,
Hlens, use of suitable phantom(s), establishing calibration
procedures in terms of Hp(3), recommendations for type
tests of passive eye lens dosimeters for measuring the
operational quantity Hp(3). It is therefore suggested that
IAEA may develop a Safety Guide similar to the one
published earlier under IAEA Safety Standards Series on
Assessment of Occupational Exposure Due to External
Sources of Radiation, Safety Guide No. RS-G-1.3 (1999).
This would serve as a useful guidance document in the
area of personnel dosimetry where the eye lens doses
are hardly ever measured in practice in most of the
countries. Such a document would also be important
for preparedness to ensure compliance by the member
states with the new ICRP recommendation on the dose
limits for the lens of the eye.

Radiation Protection and Environment | January 2012 | Vol 35 | Issue 1 |

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Bhatt: The new dose limit for the lens of the eye and its implications

B. C. Bhatt
C/o. RP&AD, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai,
Maharashtra, India. E-mail: bcbhatt2003@yahoo.com

References
1.

Till E, Zankl M, Drexler G. Angular dependence of depth

doses in a tissue slab irradiated with monoenergetic
photons. GSF-Report 27/95 1995; ISSN 0721-1694.

2.

Bordy JM, Daures J, Denozire M, Gualdrini G, Ginjaume

M, Carnou E, et al. Proposals for the type tests criteria
and calibration conditions of passive eye lens dosemeters
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workplaces. Radiat Meas 2011;46:1235-8.

photon exposure of the human eye lens. Phys Med Biol

2011;56:415-37.
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Behrens R, Dietze G, Zankl M. Dose conversion coefficients

for electron exposure of the human eye lens. Phys Med
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Behrens R. Monitoring the eye lens: Paper to talk presented

at IRPA13 2012;TS7e.3.

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Behrens R, Dietze G. Monitoring the eye lens: Which dose

quantity is adequate? Phys Med Biol 2010;55:4047-62.

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Meeting Reports. Impact on the medical sector of revising

the eye dose limit childhood cancer 2012, 7th ICNIRP NIR
workshop. J Radiol Prot 2012;32:197-202.

10. Clairand I, Bordy JM, Carinou E, Daures J, Debroas J,

Denozire M, et al. Use of active personal dosemeters
in interventional radiology and cardiology: Tests in
laboratory conditions and recommendations-ORAMED
project. Radiat Meas 2011;46:1252-7.

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Bilski P, Bordy JM, Daures J, Denozire M, Fantuzzi

E, Ferrari P, et al. The new EYE-D TM dosemeter for
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Gualdrini G, Mariotti F, Wach S, Bilski P, Denozire M,

Daures J, et al. A New cylindrical phantom for eye lens
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How to cite this article: Bhatt BC. The new dose limit for the lens
of the eye and its implications. Radiat Prot Environ 2012;35:1-3.

Behrens R, Dietze G. Dose conversion coefficients for

Source of Support: DST. Conflict of Interest: None declared.

5.

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