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IAEA Safety Standards and Radiological Environmental Impact Assessment Gerhard Proehl Division of Transport Radiation and Waste Safety International Working Forum on Regulatory Supervision of Legacy Sites 9 October 2012 IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency The System of Radiation Protection in the IAEA Safety Standards IAEA Development of International Standards 103 The New Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection UNSCEAR: Scientific Reports IAEA ICRP: IAEA: Recommendations Safety Standards IAEA Safety Standards Global Reference Point • Safety for protecting people and the environment Safety Fundamentals • from harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Safety Requirements Safety Guides IAEA 4 The Safety Fundamentals The only fundamentals-level safety standard. Policy document of the IAEA Safety Standards Series. States the basic objectives, concepts and principles involved in ensuring protection and safety. Comprised of the fundamental safety objective and principles to be applied to achieve the fundamental objective. IAEA 7/21/2015 5 The new IAEA Basic Safety Standards • Integration of Recommendations in ICRP 103 (2007) • Approval by the IAEA Board of Governors (Sept. 2011) • Replaces BSS (1996) IAEA http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/p1531interim_web.pdf Remediation of Affected Areas 2007 IAEA Protection against radiation risks • Basic requirements on radiation protection and safety • Reflects a broad international consensus • Co-sponsored by FAO, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, WHO • Establish basic requirements for • General public • Workers • Patients • Basis for legislation in many countries IAEA Three exposure situations for Public exposure Exposure situations Planned Emergency Existing Operation of facilities Accidents, Post-accident Malicious acts Residues from past, uncontrolled practices Dose limit: 1 mSv/a IAEA Reference level: 20-100 mSv Reference level: 1-20 mSv/a Reference levels Reference levels are given in terms of dose • They are not limits, • … but doses that should not be exceeded Dose to be assessed for a representative person • …. a more highly exposed individual in the population IAEA No pre-defined reference levels for activities • Exposure to humans is the result of a complex interaction of • • • • • Radionuclides involved Relevance of the exposure pathways Environmental conditions Farming practice Human habits => Case-by case consideration is necessary • Pre-determination could cause a serious mis-allocation of resources IAEA Input for decision making Acceptance Doses to the public Doses to the workers Costs Decision making Technical feasibility Life style IAEA Dialogue with the people affected Land use, soil type Optimization • Include all, also non-radiological impacts • Consider • … technical, economic, societal factors • … exposures to workers • … resulting public exposures resulting from management and disposal of waste • Dialogue with stakeholders • Optimization to continue, even if exposures are below the reference level IAEA Remediation process Monitoring (Radiological Characterization) Land use Living habits Assessment of exposures No Criteria Technologies Dose to workers Acceptance Costs Decision for remediation Yes Remediation Exit Yes IAEA Criteria ok ? No Environmental Impact Assessment IAEA Environmental Impact Assessment • Not yet strictly defined in the IAEA Safety Standards • Included in many international instruments, national legislations and regulations • Espoo Convention • Environmental impact assessment means a national procedure for evaluating the likely impact of a proposed activity on the environment” • Impact • Any effect caused by an activity on the environment including • Human health and safety, • Flora, fauna, soil, air, water, climate, • Landscape and historical monuments or other physical structures • Interaction among these factors; • Effects on cultural heritage or socio-economic conditions resulting from alterations to those factors” [12]. IAEA Espoo Convention (1991) • Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context • Regional Convention … • in recognition of the need for countries to take account of the • possible effects of activities in their own countries • on other neighbouring countries IAEA Components • Radiological impacts • Exposures to humans • Exposures to flora and fauna • Non-radiological impacts • Chemical pollutants • Heavy metals, organics • • • • • Dust Heat Noise Hydrology Impacts on cultural heritage IAEA MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING TYPE OF ASSESSMENT Factor Inventory Source term Level of expected dose Location of facility Safety characteristics of the activity or facility Interested parties involvement IAEA Element Form (chemical/physical make up) Radionuclides Quantity (both activity and mass/volume) Potential for release source term varies between normal operation and potential exposure assessments Previous similar facility or previous assessments Presence of receptor Characteristics of environment around the facility Exposure pathways Number of safety barriers and engineering features present in the design Degree of interest IAEA Components of an Assessment IAEA Environmental transport processes • Atmospheric dispersion • Deposition of radioactivity to the ground • Dispersion of radionuclides in surface water and ground water • Transfer of radioactivity to plants and animals in the food chain IAEA Comprehensive exposure analysis • Internal exposure • • • • Inhalation of radioactivity in a plume Ingestion of crops, animal food products (milk, meat) Ingestion of drinking water Ingestion of aquatic food • Fish, crustaceans, molluscs • External exposure • From radioactivity in a plume • From radionuclide deposited on the ground or in building materials • From radionuclides in water and sediments • e.g. from swimming, staying on cont. sediments IAEA Site characterization • Monitoring • • • • • • Air Water Terrestrial and aquatic food Building material Weather/climatic conditions Hydrological conditions • Rivers • Lakes • Population • Population density and distribution IAEA Key issues for remediation in the BSS • Defines responsibilities • Government • Regulatory body • Planning/implementing institutions • Recommends radiological criteria • Reference level for the representative person: 1-20 mSv/a • Exposure due to commodities: 1 mSv/a • Requires the application of radiation protection criteria • Justification, optimization, limitation • Requests • Involvement of interested parties • Establishment of a strategy for management of radioactive waste IAEA 25 Conclusions • Long-term reduction or prevention of impacts • Include all environmental components • Comprehensive pathway analysis • Careful site characterization • Long-term considerations • Optimal use of resources • Ensure sustainable solutions IAEA