To protect the population, the allowed exposure levels have been established for several sources of radiation. These are the controllable sources such as industry, nuclear facilities, or the discharge of wastewater from hospitals. Medical treatments themselves are not included.   

The RIVM has compiled an overview of exposure to various controllable radiation sources, consumer products, and fallout in the Netherlands. Fallout refers to radiation from radionuclides that have entered the environment after above-ground nuclear weapon tests in the last century or after accidents at nuclear power plants (Chernobyl and Fukushima).

This research is a continuation of an earlier inventory conducted by the RIVM in 2003.

Industry contribution less than 1 percent

The exposure to radiation in the Netherlands from controllable sources and fallout is very low: on average less than one percent of the total exposure per inhabitant. The contribution from fallout is the largest, but it has been decreasing for years as radionuclides decay.

Overview of radiation sources

Everyone is exposed to ionizing radiation in daily life. This is partly due to radionuclides naturally present in the soil and building materials, as well as in food and water. Additionally, radiation comes from the cosmos. The total exposure is primarily due to natural radiation and medical applications.

The RIVM conducted this research on behalf of the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ANVS).