Maintaining competence in radiation protection research: a position statement by the MELODI scientific advisory committee.

The aim of this position statement is to bring to the forefront the necessity for maintaining and enhancing high competence in assessing the impact of low dose and low dose rate exposure on human health and the urge for funding to achieve this within Europe. Exposure to low dose/dose rates of radiation can arise from multiple scenarios or events, including natural radiation exposure, the use of radiation in medicine, industry and energy production, terrorist actions and following a nuclear incident or war. Technological developments involving radiation are progressing rapidly and have the potential to benefit mankind and societal issues. The benefit of high dose exposure during radiotherapy is a well-funded area. However, the health consequences of exposure to low doses is not well understood and the area of radiation protection research (RPR) is poorly funded. High quality RPR is essential to allow updating of radiation safety regulations for optimal protection from natural, medical and occupational exposure and for assessment of radiation incidents. Continuous evaluation of risks is essential as technological developments result in new types of radiation exposure. We will overview the technologies and situations which can potentially lead to low dose exposure, evaluate what has been gained from RPR and the questions that still need addressing, discuss the current state of RPR in Europe and highlight the consequences of a failure to adequately fund this area. We conclude that increased funding for RPR is essential to maintain high competence and to allow adequate protection of the public to inevitable low dose radiation exposure.