UNSCEAR Global Radiation Exposure Surveys

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The secretariat of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) collects and analyses data on the global and regional levels and trends of human exposure to ionizing radiation. In 2014, it launched the UNSCEAR online platform, which is an electronic web-based database with an automatic importing module for submission of data. To date the platform consolidates data on medical, occupational and public exposure.

Since 2014 the UNSCEAR secretariat and the World Health Organization have coordinated arrangements for conducting the latest UNSCEAR Medical Exposure Survey. Information on levels and trends of radiation exposure in medicine were collected until 2019 to expand the previous UNSCEAR 2008 evaluations on the topic.

Further, the UNSCEAR Occupational Exposure Survey was completed in 2019 and it provides worldwide information regarding the radiation exposure at different workplaces.

The most recent survey is the UNSCEAR Public Exposure Survey, launched on 1 March 2021 to support the ongoing Committee’s evaluation and update of the UNSCEAR 2008 report.

National Contact Persons

The General Assembly of the United Nations has invited its Member States to provide the Committee with relevant data about exposure from various sources of radiation (see resolution A/76/56). The UNSCEAR secretariat has solicited information from designated National Contact Persons (NCP) from UN Member States. Governments are requested and very much encouraged to participate and communicate to the UNSCEAR secretariat the name and contact details of the official designated NCP who is responsible for collection and submission of data to the UNSCEAR secretariat. The list of UN Member States and their organizations is available here.

Nominated NCPs are required to register to be able to access the UNSCEAR online platform, which fosters secure submission and exchange of data, as well as fact cheking. Additional national experts can be registered to assist the NCP at country level to collect the requested information and data on radiation exposure of patients, workers and the public.

All contributions from Member States are acknowledged in the relevant UNSCEAR reports and annexes to the UN General Assembly.