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In their revised Recommendations the ICRP (2007) recognised that there was a need to provide advice on exposure of non-human species to ionising radiation. The ICRP intends to develop a framework to assess the relationships between exposure and dose, and between dose and effect, and the consequences of such effects, for non-human species, on a common scientific basis.

ICRP Committee 5 is concerned with radiological protection of the environment and have published the initial elements of the framework in ICRP Publication 108: Environmental protection: the concept and use of reference animals and plants (often referred to as the RAP report).

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The RAP report presents dose conversion coefficients for each of the RAP geometries which have been estimated using the methodology developed for the ERICA Tool. A large component of the draft ICRP report comprises a review of radiation effects data for nonhuman species. This is used to suggest a 'derived consideration reference level' (DCRL) for each RAP. The DCRLs are described as a band of dose rate within which there is likely to be some chance of deleterious effects of ionising radiation occurring to individuals of that type of Reference Animal or Plant, derived from a knowledge of defined expected biological effects for that type of organism that, when considered together with other relevant information, can be used as a point of reference to optimise the level of effort expended on environmental protection, dependent upon the overall management objectives and the exposure situation.