Exposure of the French population to ionising radiation

In 2021, the IRSN published a report on the state of exposure of the French population to ionising radiation over the period 2014-2019. Medical imaging and radon are the main sources of this exposure. Next are land-based radiation, the incorporation of natural radionuclides, cosmic radiation, and finally the industrial and military use of radioactivity, mainly through the legacy of the nuclear atmospheric tests and the Chernobyl accident. This report is available at: [https://www.irsn.fr/FR/Actualites_presse/Communiques_et_dossiers_de_presse/Documents/IRSN_Rapport%20EXPOP_def.pdf] (https://www.irsn.fr/FR/Actualites_presse/Communiques_et_dossiers_de_presse/Documents/IRSN_Rapport%20EXPOP_def.pdf) The files present the annual exposure values for cosmic and land-based natural radiation, radon and the industrial and military use of radioactivity used in the establishment of [this balance sheet] (https://www.irsn.fr/FR/Actualites_presse/Communiques_et_dossiers_de_presse/Documents/IRSN_Rapport%20EXPOP_def.pdf), and used to provide an order of magnitude of these individual exposures by means of the calculator available on [https://expop.irsn.fr] (https://expop.irsn.fr) or the mobile app ‘Radon and radioactivity’ on Android and iOS ([https://www.irsn.fr/appli-radon] (https://www.irsn.fr/appli-radon)). Concerning diagnostic medical exposure and exposure related to the incorporation of natural radionuclides, some of the data used can be found in the annexes to the report. The dose estimates are based on the dose coefficients in force in the French legislation at the date of publication of the report (June 2021). * * Exposure of the population to ionising radiation in the various municipalities in France * * This file combines the average annual effective doses, in µSv/year, for an individual living in the municipalities of metropolitan France. These values were obtained using the method detailed in [the report] (https://www.irsn.fr/FR/Actualites_presse/Communiques_et_dossiers_de_presse/Documents/IRSN_Rapport%20EXPOP_def.pdf) of the IRSN and summarised below: — As regards natural land-based radiation, the calculation method is based on the classification of geological formations according to their uranium content and their cross-linking with the dosimetric results obtained as part of the radiological monitoring of dentists and veterinarians. — As regards cosmic natural radiation, the calculation method is based on the altitude of the town hall of each municipality. — As regards radon, the calculation method is based on a geostatistical model for estimating radon concentration in the habitat on the basis of results of measuring radon concentration in the habitat and mapping of geogenic radon potential. Two habitat types are considered: Private house or collective housing. — As regards the industrial and military use of radioactivity, that is to say essentially the old effects of the nuclear atmospheric tests and the Chernobyl accident, the calculation method differentiates between the municipalities located in elevated areas (depots of the Chernobyl accident of more than 10 000 Bq/m²) and municipalities located outside these areas. * * Estimated individual exposure to ionising radiation during flight * * This file combines each flight route with the average effective dose, in mSv/flight, due to natural cosmic radiation, calculated using the [SievertPN] system (https://www.sievert-system.org)