2018 School on Drafting Regulations Radiation Safety Stream

2018 School on Drafting Regulations. Radiation Safety Stream. IAEA Regional Workshop Vienna, Austria 6 – 17 August 2018 Module 1. 13 Existing Exposure Situations - Radon Julius Ziliukas

Content Ø Existing exposure situations Ø Radon in the BSS requirements Ø Radon Action Plan Ø Responsibilities and goals Ø Radon regulations Ø Radon risk mapping Ø Radon remediation

Existing exposure situations

Definition Existing exposure situation - a situation of exposure that already exists when a decision on the need for control needs to be taken.

Existing exposure situation Scope – Exposure due to contamination by residual radioactive material – Exposure due to commodities – Exposure due to natural sources • Radon in dwellings and workplaces • Aircrews and space crews - cosmic radiation 5

Generic requirements Requirement 47: Responsibilities of the government specific to existing exposure situations • The government shall ensure that existing exposure situations that have been identified are evaluated to determine which occupational exposures and public exposures are of concern from the point of view of radiation protection. – The government: to identify, assign responsibilities for protection and safety, establish reference levels, to include provisions in the legal and regulatory framework. – The regulatory body/relevant authority shall ensure that it specifies: objectives of the protection strategy and appropriate reference levels. – The regulatory body/relevant authority shall implement the protection strategy, arrange for evaluation of the efficiency of the actions, ensure that information is available.

Public exposure Requirement 48: Justification for protective actions and optimization of protection and safety • The government and the regulatory body or other relevant authority shall ensure that remedial actions and protective actions are justified and that protection and safety is optimized. – Justification of protective actions and remedial actions – Optimization of protection – Reference levels typically expressed as annual effective dose to the representative person in range of 1 -20 m. Sv 7

Responsibility for remediation (I) Requirement 49: Responsibilities for remediation of areas with residual radioactive material • The government shall ensure that provision is made for identifying those persons or organizations responsible for areas with residual radioactive material; for establishing and implementing remediation programmes and post-remediation control measures, if appropriate; and for putting in place an appropriate strategy for radioactive waste management. – The government shall establish provisions to identify responsible party (if still exists), establish provisions for financing the remediation programme, and the determination of appropriate arrangements; Establish of any restrictions on the use of or access if needed; system for maintaining, retrieval and amendment of records. – The government shall ensure that a strategy for radioactive waste management is put in place.

Responsibility for remediation (II) - The regulatory body/relevant authority shall: review the SAR, approval of the remedial action plan, and granting of any necessary authorization; review of work procedures, monitoring programmes and records; where necessary, establish regulatory requirements for control measures following remediation. - - - The person/organization responsible for remedial actions shall ensure that the work and RW management is conducted in accordance with the remedial action plan, be responsible for all aspects of protection and safety, monitor the area regularly, perform a radiological survey after remedial actions to demonstrate that the end point conditions have been met, prepare and retain a final remediation report. If the government has decided to allow habitation and the resumption of social and economic activities, the government, in consultation with interested parties, shall establish reference levels and establis an infrastructure for supporting “self-help protective actions”. If restrictions or controls after remediation, the prevailing conditions = the background conditions for any new facilities and activities or for habitation on the land.

Radon indoors Requirement 50: Public exposure due to radon indoors • The government shall provide information on levels of radon indoors and the associated health risks and, if appropriate, shall establish and implement an action plan for controlling public exposure due to radon indoors. – Information gathered on radon levels in dwellings and other buildings of high occupancy, – Information on radon levels and health risks is made available for the public, – Assign responsibility to a regulatory body/relevant authority, – If significant radon levels, then national action plan – Reference level for 222 Rn not to exceed 300 Bq/m 3 – Optimize protection – Corrective actions and preventive measures into building codes – Determine if corrective actions are mandatory or voluntary 10

Radionuclides in commodities Requirement 51: Exposure due to radionuclides in commodities • The regulatory body or other relevant authority shall establish reference levels for exposure due to radionuclides in commodities. – Regulatory body to establish specific reference levels for exposure to radionuclides in construction materials, food, feed, drinking water – reference level is not to exceed 1 m. Sv – Food traded internationally as a result of a nuclear or radiological emergency – FAO/WHO - Codex has published guideline values – Drinking water – WHO guidelines 11

Exposure in workplaces Requirement 52: Exposure in workplaces • The regulatory body shall establish and enforce requirements for the protection of workers in existing exposure situations. – The requirements in respect of public exposure shall be applied for protection and safety for workers in existing exposure situations, other than: – Remediation of areas with residual radioactive material - exposure of workers is planned exposure situation, – Exposure due to radon in workplaces - reference level for 222 Rn 1000 Bq/m 3 , account taken of the prevailing social and economic circumstances. If, remains above the reference level – requirements of planned exposure situations shall apply. – Exposure of aircrew and space crew due to cosmic radiation reference level of dose and a methodology for the assessment, recording of doses, information to employees. Specific requirements for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations are to apply, particularly for pregnant aircrew if reference levels are exceeded. 12

Radon in the BSS requirements

IAEA Safety Standards relating to radon • SF-1: Fundamental Safety Principles (2006) • GSR Part 3: Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards (2014) • SSG-32: Protection of the Public against Exposure Indoors due to Radon and Other Natural Sources of Radiation (2015) • All co-sponsored by WHO

Requirements of BSS – Radon Requirement 48: Justification of protection actions and optimization of protection and safety The government and the regulatory body or other relevant authority shall ensure that remedial actions are justified and that protection and safety is optimized. Justification Optimization

Requirements of BSS – Radon Requirement 50: Public exposure due to radon indoors The government shall provide information on radon indoors and the associated health risks and, if appropriate, shall establish and implement an action plan for controlling public exposure due to radon indoors. Information Radon action plan

Requirements of BSS -Building material Requirement 51: Exposure due to radionuclides in commodities The regulatory body or other relevant authority shall establish reference levels for exposure due to radionuclides in commodities. 5. 22. The regulatory body or other relevant authority shall establish specific reference levels for exposure due to radionuclides in commodities such as construction materials, food and feed, and in drinking water, each of which shall typically be expressed as, or be based on, an annual effective dose to the representative person that generally does not exceed a value of about 1 m. Sv.

Radon Action Plan

Where to start? Rn survey and maps Subsidies (measurement, corrective actions? ) Radon industry (measurement professionals) (accreditation) Prevention (future buildings) To establish Rn ref. level (carefully) Responsible Gov. Authority + aassignment of other responsibilities Capacity building Some steps needs to be done in parallel Information and comunication Legislation what is reccomended what mandatory Building Professionals for prevetion + corr. action (licensing? ) Corrective actions (existing buildings)

Radon Action Plan (GSR Part 3, SSG-32) • National radon policy – Government to assign responsibilities To be coordinated with other national programmes and authorities • Provision of information – communication strategy • National survey of radon in dwellings and public buildings • Identification of radon prone areas • Setting a reference level – For dwellings not to exceed an average annual concentration of 300 Bq/m 3 – For workplaces not to exceed an average annual concentration of 1000 Bq/m 3 • Control and reduction of exposure to radon – Corrective actions for existing dwellings – Corrective actions to be mandatory or voluntary – Building codes : Preventive measures for new dwellings • Evaluation of effectiveness

National Radon Action Plan 1. Establishment – – – Assign responsibilities A national reference level not exceeding 300 Bq/m 3 Develop legal framework Identify effective preventive measures and corrective actions Develop communication strategy Develop educational system for professionals (building, measurement) 2. Implementation – Identify radon-prone areas and develop radon maps – Include appropriate preventive measures and corrective actions in building codes for new and existing buildings – Update and implement communication strategy – Educate, licence (? ) professionals – Reduce radon levels in dwellings 3. Review – Evaluate effectiveness of all actions and improve them accordingly.

Radon Action Plan Responsibilities and Goals

Definition of goals of the radon action plan • FINAL GOAL : to decrease lung cancer in the country (such goal is in a distant future !!) • In the meantime define more realistic (specific) goals such as: – Representative radon survey – Establishment and implementation of legal framework – Radon included in building code – Development of guidelines for professionals (building, measurement) – Communication of the topic with public – Radon awareness • Radon Action Plan to cover: – Members of the public in their homes – Members of the public present in buildings with high occupational factor of the members of public – Workers at workplaces (other than those for which exposure due to radionuclides is controlled as planned exposure).

Creation of clear structure Some questions at the beginning: • What is the current status (legal framework, public perception, research, any survey results, are responsibilities clearly assigned)? • What should be done? • What are the resources – human, technical (devices, laboratories), monetary. . ? Establishment of discussion with / cooperation with: – – Chamber of Architects Technical universities Research institutes – Geology, Radiation protection, Civil engineering Private sector providing measurement and builders and civil engineers

Identification of stakeholders Building Industry Public Householders Employees/ unions Builders, architects, etc Solicitors, insurers, etc Rn Measurement Representative organisations Researchers Governmental Local authorities Health professionals Central Government/agencies Regulatory body Geology Civil engineering Radiation protection Epidemiology

Defining the role of key players • Government, ministries, institutes, individuals etc. • Who will be responsible for what? • Budget allocation and for what • Co-operation and meetings • Consider set-up the inter-disciplinary radon working group (advisory group) – Define the objectives of the group – advisors or decision makers!

Radon Action Plan - Regulations

Establishment of radon regulations • Consider how the radon action plan will be established: – Law – Governmental decree – Other types of document • Consider what type of document can force public, employers, ministries etc. to act • Consider how to follow up on the targets set by the plan

Delegation of authorities • Country specific • Consider responsibilities delegated on a national level and to local authorities • Radiation protection • Health issue • Construction offices

Radon Action Plan - Radon risk mapping

Radon surveys and radon prone areas mapping (II) • Include and consider: – 222 Rn indoors almost always derive from 238 -U in the ground (particular types of bedrock and unconsolidated deposits, for example, certain granites, phosphatic rocks and shales rich in organic materials); – In some cases, building materials; – 222 Rn emission from rocks: permeability, the extent of fracturing and faulting, and weathering are also important factors; – 222 Rn from soil gas to indoor air is dependent on a number of factors which may vary greatly from building to building and with time; – 222 Rn in buildings depend on the concentration of radon in soil gas and the soil permeability and on the way in which buildings are constructed and used.

Radon prone areas - Sweden

Radon risk map - Austria

Thank you!