The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is a non-governmental organization that issues recommendations for radiation protection from ionizing radiation. With Wilhelm Roentgen's 1895 discovery of x-rays that, unlike the rays of visible light or of radio transmissions, tend to break down or ionize atomic structures, a new phenomenon was added to human experience. As this phenomenon became increasingly utilized especially in medical work, its dangers were likewise progressively recognized. The recommendations issued by the ICRP are used by many national and international radiation protection agencies to deal with such dangers and have a profound influence on radiation protection all over the world.

History and Activities

The ICRP was established in 1928 by the Second International Congress of Radiology, in order to address health and safety issues concerning radiation used for medical purposes. Until 1950 it was called the International X-ray and Radium...