OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO IONIZING-RADIATION IN HONG-KONG

Data from mandatory monitoring of Hong Kong's 3000+ radiation workers in 1988 and 1989 has been obtained. Using TLD dosimetry, the dose equivalent values show: (1) about 40% of the workers received doses below the lower limit of detection, i.e. 20 mu Sv and 0.2% above the ICRP's 1990 dose limit for workers; (2) average annual dose equivalents are 0.71 and 0.72 mSv for 1988 and 1989 respectively; (3) female workers receive 20% less dose than their male counterpart in all categories; (4) the annual collective dose equivalents are 2.31 and 2.50 man.Sv for 1988 and 1989 respectively; (5) there would be at most 0.1 additional cancer deaths per year for the 3489 radiation workers of Hong Kong in 1989 due to the receiving of an annual average dose equivalent of 0.72 mSv. Other aspects of the data such as unusual cases, health implications and comparison with other countries are discussed.