Residuals from coal combustion are known as a potential source of radiation exposure, especially in cases where the coal used in the combustion is characterized by increased radioactivity, resulting ...in coal ash and slag with potentially high activity concentration of radionuclides. This paper presents the results of the radiological risk assessments based on the ERICA Tool approach, used to estimate dose rates to terrestrial biota in the proximity of a coal fired thermal power plant in Croatia. The study consists of three radiological risk assessments using environmental data on activity concentration (Bqkg-1) from samples collected prior to the remediation of the disposal site and samples after the remediation implementation was completed. The resulting total dose rate to biota derived using data prior to the remediation ranged from 3.28 μGyh-1 to 147.68 μGyh-1. Assessment results of total dose rate based on the data from the studied area after remediation ranged from 0.23 μGyh-1 to 18.06 μGyh-1. The results showed that after the remediation only the total dose rate for lichens and bryophytes slightly exceeded ERICA Tool conservative screening value of 10 μGyh-1, which implies that environmental risks in relation to exposure to the disposal site can be considered negligible. The study results confirm the applicability of the ERICA Tool for the assessment of potential radiological impact and the effective remediation implementation at the coal and ash slag disposal site.
Having access to relevant data is essential for ensuring the quality and outreach of research work. In the context of the nuclear field, access to information and data facilitates competence ...building, long-term professional development, research, and information dissemination. Potential users of nuclear information resources come from different domains: scientists, experts, students, and the public. One of the main roles of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to ensure and promote peaceful uses of atomic energy worldwide. Through their activities, the IAEA strongly encourages the exchange of scientific and technical information. This paper presents an overview of different nuclear and radiological data available in several International Atomic Energy Agency databases. All data is available free of charge for educational and informational use. A summary of information is given for each database presented on the content, access options, copyright, acknowledgement, and dissemination of the available information. A concise summary of this various data might help in capacity building, as well as encourage research and information sharing between different stakeholders in the field.
Coal fly ash and slag waste residuals from coal combustion are an issue of importance as one of the possible sources of environmental contamination and exposure to NORM. This study compares the ...results of different radiological risk assessment scenarios targeting terrestrial biota at a legacy site in Croatia that contains large quantities of coal ash with an enhanced content of radionuclides originating from previous industrial activities. The ERICA assessment tool was used for a risk assessment, which included data from borehole samples with a maximum depth of 6 m and trees as the primary reference organisms. The results of the risk assessments from various depth ranges found the radiological risk to the reference organisms to be negligible, regardless of the depth range, since the screening dose rate of 10 µGyh−1 was not exceeded in any of the assessments. The risk assessment results from all depth ranges show higher total dose rate predictions when the tool’s default CR values are used, compared to the site-specific ones, which is in agreement with previous studies on the application of the ERICA tool. A comparison of results from different spatial radiological risk assessments showed that sample depth does not affect the estimated total dose rate to biota.
The paper analyses results of spatio-temporal radiological risk assessment
scenarios based on existing in-situ long-term monitoring data from a natural
gas processing plant to analyse the effect of ...different input data on the
assessment outcome. The ERICA Assessment Tool was used to estimate the dose
rates to biota and potential impacts due to the exposure to ionising
radiation. The input data for radiological risk assessment scenarios
included annual data on activity concentration of radionuclides in soil
from measurements performed from 1994 to 2016 and laboratory
gamma-spectrometric data related to the period from 2014 to 2019. Predicted
total dose rate to biota was generally below the ERICA Tool's screening dose
rate of 10 ?Gyh-1 or slightly above, with the highest total dose rate
estimated for lichen and bryophytes. Total dose rates to lichen and
bryophytes in the studied period show certain temporal variation, but a
specific trend was not detected. Estimated total dose rates to biota from
different assessment scenarios were below internationally proposed reference
levels for which no detrimental effects are expected. The overall potential
radiological risk to terrestrial biota from the operation of the natural gas
processing plant was found to be negligible.
Abstract
Occupational exposure in Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by the national regulation on radiation protection for occupational and public exposure. All radiation workers are required to be ...monitored using whole body passive thermoluminescent dosemeters and, in case of non-uniform external exposures, by dosemeters that would indicate dose to the most affected body parts. Exposed workers are almost exclusively employed in the medical field, and some of them work in nuclear medicine departments where they handle unsealed radioactive sources. Introduction of the positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) in two largest clinical centers in the country was expected to cause the increase of equivalent doses to hands received by staff handling the positron emitting radionuclides. Hence, routine monitoring of finger doses became a necessity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the available data on monitoring with ring dosemeters during PET–CT procedure in two hospitals in Bosnia and Herzegovina and compare them with other practices in the nuclear medicine department, as well as with the results of monitoring in other countries. In general, results confirm that effective doses, as well as equivalent doses to hands, are well below annual dose limits. Finger dosemeters have been proven to be an invaluable asset in the incidental situations that sometimes occur in nuclear medicine departments. Different number of patients and differences in injection methodologies are identified as a possible source of differences between doses in two hospitals. Overall, routine evaluation of doses to hands provides a sound basis for possible optimization processes, as well as confirmation of good practices.
An enormous increase in the application of wireless communication in recent decades has intensified research into consequent increase in human exposure to electromagnetic (EM) radiofrequency (RF) ...radiation fields and potential health effects, especially in school children and teenagers, and this paper gives a snap overview of current findings and recommendations of international expert bodies, with the emphasis on exposure from Wi-Fi technology indoor devices. Our analysis includes over 100
, animal, epidemiological, and exposure assessment studies (of which 37
and 30 covering Wi-Fi technologies). Only a small portion of published research papers refers to the “real” health impact of Wi-Fi technologies on children, because they are simply not available. Results from animal studies are rarely fully transferable to humans. As highly controlled laboratory exposure experiments do not reflect real physical interaction between RF radiation fields with biological tissue, dosimetry methods, protocols, and instrumentation need constant improvement. Several studies repeatedly confirmed thermal effect of RF field interaction with human tissue, but non-thermal effects remain dubious and unconfirmed.
Individual hand monitoring for workers who manipulate unsealed radioactive
sources in nuclear medicine is a necessity and the results can serve as the
base for optimization processes. We performed an ...analysis of individual hand
doses for medical staff preparing and applying radiopharmaceuticals (99mTc,
123I, 201Tl, 131I, or 125I) in three Croatian clinical hospitals, for a
period of one year since extremity monitoring became legally mandatory in
Croatia. The majority of annual hand doses for workers were below or slightly
above 150 mSv per year with only a few workers exceeding the annual dose
limit of 500 mSv. The analysis confirmed that the radiation protection
expert's role in an individual monitoring programme and personal dosimetry is
crucial in order to achieve the optimal radiation protection of workers.
nema
Mandatory eye lens monitoring for exposed workers who are liable to receive an equivalent dose to the lens of the eye higher than 15 mSv in one year, required by the new European Basic Safety ...Standard 2013/59 and the recommendation given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection to lower the annual dose limit for the lens of the eye to 20 mSv, have put dosimetry services using Panasonic dosemeters in a difficult position. There are no commercially available eye lens dosemeter holders to fit Panasonic TLD pellets. Therefore, we designed and 3D printed inexpensive, splash proof, reusable and comfortable holders to fit a Panasonic nLi2nB4O7:Cu pellet. The eye lens dosemeter consists of an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic holder with a slot for a TLD pellet. The slot with the TLD pellet is covered by a heat-shrink tube and shortly heated with hot air to shrink wrap. Results of combined energy/angular response measurements, for all photon radiation qualities used, relative to N-100 at 0° as the reference energy, were within IEC 62387:2012 limits. Additionally, electron spin resonance spectroscopy was used to test the effect of irradiation to the degradation properties of the plastic ABS holder. The dosemeter is to be worn fixed to a headband, close to the eye, on the left side of the head or in the middle of the forehead.
•An inexpensive and comfortable eye lens dosimeter holder can be 3D printed.•The 3D-printed holder fits a Panasonic TL single dosimeter element.•Holders with Li2B4O7 TLD are suitable for Hp(3) measurements in IR and IC.•Properties of the ABS plastic are not affected by radiation in low range.
The ERICA project (Environmental Risk from Ionising Contaminants: Assessment and Management) was co-funded by the European Union as part of the 6
Framework Programme (FP EURATOM). The project was ...carried out between 2004 and 2007 as the collective work of 15 organisations in seven European countries. Two significant outputs of the project are the ERICA Integrated Approach and the ERICA Tool. The ERICA Integrated Approach consists of three elements: assessment, risk characterisation and management. The ERICA Tool is a practical implementation of the assessment component of the ERICA Integrated Approach and has a three-tier structure. The aim of this review paper is to give a concise overview of ERICA project outputs and their structure, updates done since their first release in 2007, as well as to provide a context for their practical application in environmental radiation protection and radiological risk assessments for various engineering scenarios.
Donošenjem Nacionalnog programa provedbe Strategije zbrinjavanja radioaktivnog otpada, iskorištenih izvora i istrošenog nuklearnog goriva, Vlada Republike Hrvatske je ratificirala Strategiju koja ...dijelom određuje gospodarenje reziduima. S obzirom na važeću legislativu bit će nužno regulatorno modificirati trenutačne i predvidjeti buduće rudarske i druge industrijske aktivnosti u kojima nastaju rezidui i pri kojima se manipulira reziduima. U radu se daje detaljan pregled legislative te preporuka i smjernica, u skladu s posljednjim dostignućima, za gospodarenje postojećim i budućim odlagalištima i mjestima za privremeno pohranjivanje rezidua.
By adopting the National Program for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Management of Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel, the Government of the Republic of Croatia has ratified the Strategy, which partly defines the management of residues. Given the current legislation, it will be necessary to regulate modifications of the current as well as predict future mining and other industrial activities in which residues appear and are manipulated with. This paper gives a detailed review of relevant legislation, and state of the art recommendations and guidelines for the management of existing and future disposal sites and places for temporary storage of residues.
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