Objectives And Design Of Environmental Monitoring Programmes For Radioactive Contaminants

The objective of this study was to develop recommendations for the design of environmental monitoring programs at Canadian uranium refining and conversion operations. In order to develop monitoring priorities, chemical and radioactive releases to the air and water were developed for reference uranium refining and conversion facilities. The relative significance of the radioactive releases was evaluated trhough a pathways analysis which estimated dose to individual members of the critical receptor group. The effects of chemical releases to the environment were assessed by comparing predicted air and water contaminant levels to appropriate standards or guidelines. The study recommendations for the design of an environmental monitoring program are based on consideration of those factors most likely to affect local air and water quality, and human radiation exposure. Site- and facility-specific factors will affect monitoring program design and the selection of componnets such as sampling media, locations and frequency, and analytical methods.

This publication deals with surveillance and monitoring activities for the purposes of demonstrating the safety of near surface radioactive waste disposal facilities. It covers all phases of facility development, from siting through construction and operation to closure. It identifies the activities over which surveillance needs to be exercised and the parameters to be monitored, and provides examples of such programmes for present-day facilities. It also addresses programmes that may be necessary for older facilities which were not built to present-day standards and for which surveillance and monitoring may have to be carried out to identify remedial measures to be taken.

The purpose of this Safety Guide is to provide international guidance, coherent with contemporary radiation protection principles and IAEA safety requirements, on the strategy of monitoring in relation to: (a) control of radionuclide discharges under practice conditions, and (b) intervention, such as in cases of nuclear or radiological emergencies or past contamination of areas with long lived radionuclides. Three categories of monitoring are discussed: monitoring at the source of the discharge (source monitoring), monitoring in the environment (environmental monitoring) and monitoring of individual exposure in emergencies (individual monitoring). The Safety Guide also provides general guidance on assessment of the doses to critical groups of the population due to the presence of radioactive materials or radiation fields in the environment both from routine operation of nuclear and other related facilities (practice) and from nuclear or radiological emergencies and past contamination of areas with long lived radionuclides (intervention). The dose assessments are based on the results of source monitoring, environmental monitoring, individual monitoring or their combinations. This Safety Guide is primarily intended for use by national regulatory bodies and other agencies involved in national systems of radiation monitoring, as well as by operators of nuclear installations and other facilities where natural or human made radionuclides are treated and monitored.

CRC Handbook of Management of Radiation Protection Programs, 2nd Edition, is unique in that it offers practical guidance for managing various aspects of radiation protection programs ranging from the daily operation of a health physics office to the preparation of radiation experts for court appearances as professional witnesses. The book also covers such topics as organization and management of nonionizing radiation safety programs (with special emphasis on laser safety programs) and management of radioactive waste, personnel monitoring programs, radiation accident victims, internal exposure, relative radiotoxicity and radiation therapy patients. Other chapters discuss handling radiation accidents and education and training requirements for radiation protection. Legal aspects covered in the book include the history of radiation court cases, legal implications of record keeping, and preparation for court appearances. CRC Handbook of Management of Radiation Protection Programs, 2nd Edition will be a valuable reference resource for medical and health physicists, industrial hygienists, physicians, nuclear engineers, radiation protection regulators, radiation emergency management agents, radiation safety committees, and managers of facilities using ionizing and nonionizing radiation sources.