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Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety.

ARPANSA deals with both ionising and non-ionising radiation. Common sources of ionising radiation include X-rays, CT scans and naturally occurring radioactive materials. Common sources of non-ionising radiation include the sun, mobile phones, base stations and power lines.

Vision and mission

ARPANSA's purpose is to protect the Australian people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation.

How ARPANSA can help

ARPANSA ensures radiation protection and nuclear safety for the Australian community by:

  • Undertaking research on the potential health effects of radiation exposure
  • Providing expert advice to the community through various engagements such as our Talk to a Scientist service
  • Offering radiation protection services for individuals and businesses
  • Ensure effective and risk-informed regulation
  • Initiate, maintain, and promote frameworks for protection and safety that are adopted by the jurisdictions across Australia

Information / help lines

Programs, apps and tools

Recommended links

Last reviewed: May 2025

Information from this partner

Found 40 results

Your monitoring requirements | ARPANSA

If you work in a workplace where you may be exposed to ionising radiation, you may need to be monitored.

Read more on ARPANSA website

Ultraviolet radiation monitoring | ARPANSA

We maintain a network of solar ultraviolet (UV) measurements in major Australian cities and in the Australian Antarctic territories.

Read more on ARPANSA website

Ultraviolet radiation dose | ARPANSA

Use this chart to see the total UV dose for the day at our monitoring sites.

Read more on ARPANSA website

Ultraviolet radiation index | ARPANSA

Use this chart to see how the UV index varies throughout the day at our monitoring sites.

Read more on ARPANSA website

Nuclear medicine/PET | ARPANSA

Find out more about the Australian diagnostic reference levels for nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography procedures.

Read more on ARPANSA website

Ultraviolet radiation exposure and dose explained | ARPANSA

An explanation of ultraviolet radiation exposure and ultraviolet radiation dose.

Read more on ARPANSA website

CT imaging and children | ARPANSA

CT scans are an important medical diagnostic technique that is used on adults and children of all ages.

Read more on ARPANSA website

What parents should know about CT scans for children | ARPANSA

A CT scan is an X-ray imaging technique that is used on people of all ages, including children. CT scans are vitally important for quickly investigating serious health problems inside the body, for example, bleeding inside the skull after a fracture. CT scans provide more information than a plain X-ray image.

Read more on ARPANSA website

CT scans for children: Information for referrers | ARPANSA

CT scans are a valuable investigative technique because it provides a low risk, non-invasive, fast and accurate method of diagnosing serious injury and illness. However, all these benefits come with an increased exposure to ionising radiation which has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

Read more on ARPANSA website

Electricity and health | ARPANSA

The scientific evidence does not establish that exposure to the electric and magnetic fields found around the home, the office or near powerlines causes health effects.

Read more on ARPANSA website

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