Eye Lens More Vulnerable To Radiation

The professionals who are constantly exposed to radiation, especially the `interventional' cardiologists, must take utmost care to protect their eyes as the new studies have shown that lens of the human eye is more ionizing radiation sensitive, than thought before.

Till now, the lens of the eye was considered to be a moderately radiation sensitive tissue in the body. But several new scientific studies show that it is among the most sensitive tissues, said Dr K S Parthasarathy, Raja Ramanna Fellow of the Department of Atomic Energy and former Secretary of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

Recently, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reduced the safe dose limit for the lens of the eye to 20mSv (millisievert) a year, averaged over five years, with no single year exceeding 50 mSv, Parthasarathy told PTI today.

"The earlier dose limit was 150mSv a year," he said.

From: http://ping.fm/K4uCr