During a relatively short historical period, since the dawn of nuclear power engineering in Russia in 1945, the personnel irradiation standards have been seriously toughened. The annual radiation dose limits in Russia (USSR) were as follows:
 

  • 300 mSv (30 rem) before 1954;
  • 150 mSv (15 rem) before 1960;
  • 50 mSv (5 rem) before 2000.

Presently, the basic radiation dose level for the personnel is 50 mSv/y, but, in fact, it is 20 mSv/y due to the lifetime radiation dose limit of 1 Sv for 50 years and 100 mSv for 5 consecutive years. Thus, in the last 60 years the personnel irradiation limit has been reduced by 15 times.
 
The Federal Law "On the Radiation Safety of the Population" sets basic radiation dose levels for NPP personnel and population. In fact, NPP radiation has a by far smaller impact on the population than natural radiation does, while professional irradiation is on a level with it:
 

  • 1,000 mSv – basic radiation dose level for NPP personnel for 50 years of professional activities;
  • 100 mSv – basic radiation dose level for NPP personnel for 5 years of professional activities;
  • 70 mSv – basic radiation dose level for the population for 70 years;
  • 50 mSv – annual basic radiation dose level for NPP personnel;
  • 20 mSv – annual average individual irradiation dose for the personnel during a period of 5 consecutive years, control level;
  • 5 mSv – annual basic radiation dose level for the population;
  • 2.2 mSv – actual annual average dose of individual population irradiation from all natural radiation sources;
  • 1 mSv – average annual dose of individual irradiation for the population during a period of - - 5 consecutive years, control level;
  •  0.02 mSv – admissible NPP radiation effect on the population;
  • mSv - actual irradiation of the population from NPP emissions.

Since 1996 the operator of the Russian NPPs, Rosenergoatom, has been gradually introducing ALARA and has achieved the following results:
 
 

  • the basic radiation dose limits are observed at all the NPPs;
  • the radiation exposure of the personnel is gradually being reduced.

At RBMK NPPs this process is developing more dynamically than at other NPPs.
 
NPPs with WWER and BN reactors have reduced their radiation doses to the level of foreign NPPs.
 
The further reduction of the personnel irradiation level depends on the efficiency of NPP maintenance, the timely introduction of necessary equipment (quick detachable safety shields, self-reading dosimeters) and the effective use of ALARA in radioactively dangerous operations.