UK agency reports slight increase in radiation exposure

The average annual exposure to radiation among the British public has risen slightly, according to the Health Protection Agency. Most of the increase is due to the greater number of people undergoing radiography and the increased use of computed tomography (CT) scanners, which carry higher levels or radiation than conventional radiography, it says.

Although the national average levels of radiation exposure increased only very slightly from 2002 to 2003—from 2.6 mSv to just under 2.7 mSv—radiation from medical interventions had increased by 10%, from 0.37 mSv to 0.41 mSv.

“This is due to increases in the frequency of x rays carried out and to CT scans,” said Stewart Hughes, principal scientist of …