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Radiation protection of the environment - International context

This article discusses the historical perspective, international initiatives, and challenges of environmental radiological protection. It explores the interaction between key international bodies and provides an overview of the ICRP recommendations and the concept of Reference Animals and Plants (RAPs) in environmental protection. The article also highlights the assessment methods for human and wildlife exposure to radiation.

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Radiation protection of the environment - International context

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  1. Radiation protection of the environment - International context Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Lancaster 1st– 3rdApril 2014

  2. Outline • Historical perspective of environmental radiological protection • Why this has changed - prime motivations • International initiatives in key international bodies • The UK perspective • Comparison with chemicals www.radioecology-exchange.org

  3. The ICRP statements ‘Although the principal objective of radiation protection is the achievement and maintenance of appropriately safe conditions for activities involving human exposure, the level of safety required for the protection of all human individuals is thought likely to be adequate to protect other species, although not necessarily individual members of those species. The Commission therefore believes that if man is adequately protected then other living things are also likely to be sufficiently protected.’ ICRP, 1977

  4. The ICRP statements “The Commission believes that the standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk. Occasionally, individual members of non-human species might be harmed, but not to the extent of endangering whole species or creating imbalance between species. ICRP, 1991

  5. Whats the issue? • Human radiological protection: • Focus on worker/most exposed individual • Environment more as a route for transfer to humans • Incomplete ecological information • What’s the protection goal? • Evidence needed for or against ICRP statement www.radioecology-exchange.org

  6. Challenges to anthropogenic approach • Lack of demonstration that the environment is being protected • May not be valid for some environments (e.g. those with no humans) • Incompatible with management of other environmental chemical stressors • Requirement for assessment under some national legislation

  7. Interaction between key international bodies UNSCEAR ICRP evidence provision recommendations IAEA Member States EU establishing standards www.radioecology-exchange.org

  8. Chronology • ICRP 1977 – statement appears • ICRP 1991 – recognise individuals may be impacted • ICRP 2007 – Recommendations include need to consider environment and introduces ‘RAP Framework’ • UNSCEAR (1996, 2011) • Reports on Effects of Ionizing Radiation to Biota • USA, Canadian, EU-Projects (2000-2009) • Scientific basis developed • Development of frameworks • IAEA (2005) • Plan of Activities on Protection of the Environment • IAEA Safety Fundamentals (2006) • Principle 7:Protection of “People and the environment, present and in the future, must be protected against radiation risks” www.radioecology-exchange.org

  9. ICRP 2007 (Publication 103) Recommendations - the Environment • Recommends the explicit consideration of Radiological Protection of the Environment ICRP recognised • Need for advice and guidance • Lack of consistency at an international level • More proactive approach needed • Complex nature of environmental protection • Need to develop a clearer framework – C5 • Assess exposure – dose – effect relationships • Pragmatic approach • No “dose limits” www.radioecology-exchange.org

  10. ICRP Publication 108 (2008) Provides a Concept and Use of Reference Animals and Plants • Transfer, Dosimetry, Effects to biota • => Derived Consideration Reference Levels • Ideas for application • Maintain biological diversity • Conservation of species • Protect health and status of • Natural habitats • Communities • Ecosystems • Targets are all related to • Living organisms • Populations or higher organisational levels • Not on individuals (except for endangered species) • Demonstration through a set of Reference Animals and Plants (RAPs) • Protection targets www.radioecology-exchange.org

  11. Planned, Existing and Emergency exposure situations Environmental radionuclide concentrations Reference Animals and Plants Reference Male & Female Dose limits, Constraints and Reference levels Derived Consideration Reference Levels Decision-making regarding public health and environmental protection for the same environmental exposure situation using representative individuals and representative organisms www.radioecology-exchange.org

  12. Human assessment (overview) PATHWAY OF EXPOSURE RADIONUCLIDE SOURCE HABITS DATA REFERENCE PERSON Application of a weighting factors for RBE & different tissues TOTAL ABSORBED DOSE Compare predicted dose to known biological effects & dose limits www.radioecology-exchange.org IMPACT

  13. Wildlife assessment (overview) ECOLOGICAL PARAMETERS PATHWAY OF EXPOSURE RADIONUCLIDE SOURCE HABITS DATA REFERENCE ANIMAL OR PLANT Application of a weighting factors for RBE & different tissues TOTAL ABSORBED DOSE Compare predicted dose to known biological or ecological effects & guideline values www.radioecology-exchange.org IMPACT

  14. ICRP 108 - RAPs For human protection, the reference individuals and Reference Person are idealised models developed for the specific purposes of relating exposure to dose, and dose to effect. • They do not represent any specific type of human being (the reference individuals are phantoms, and the Reference Person is a hermaphrodite), but nevertheless have to be discretely defined to serve their basic purpose. To be consistent with the original concept of Reference Man, a Reference Animal or Plant can be described as follows: • “A Reference Animal or Plant is a hypothetical entity, with the assumed basic biological characteristics of a particular type of animal or plant, as described to the generality of the taxonomic level of family, with defined anatomical, physiological, and life-history properties, that can be used for the purposes of relating exposure to dose, and dose to effects, for that type of living organism.” www.radioecology-exchange.org

  15. RAPs • Considers 12 RAPs (adult life stages) and 39 elements • RAPs defined at taxonomic level of Family www.radioecology-exchange.org

  16. Recent/ongoing ICRP work • ICRP, 2003. A Framework for Assessing the Impact of Ionising Radiation on Non-human Species. ICRP Publication 91. Ann. ICRP 33 (3). • ICRP, 2008. Environmental Protection - the Concept and Use of Reference Animals and Plants. ICRP Publication 108. Ann. ICRP 38 (4-6). • ICRP, 2009. Environmental Protection: Transfer Parameters for Reference Animals and Plants. ICRP Publication 114. Ann. ICRP 39 (6). www.radioecology-exchange.org

  17. Ongoing ICRP focus • Task groups on • Relative Biological Effectiveness • More realistic dosimetry for non-human species • Integrating the ICRP System of Protection for humans and non-human species • Forthcoming reports • The ICRP's approach to protection of the environment under different exposure situations • The Practical Application of Reference Animals and Plants to Different Exposure Situations www.radioecology-exchange.org

  18. UNSCEAR United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation • Established in 1955 • UN Scientific Committee reports to General Assembly • Assesses global levels and effects of ionizing radiation • Provides scientific basis for radiation protection • Governments and organisations rely on Committee's estimates as the scientific basis for evaluating radiation risk and establishing protective measures www.radioecology-exchange.org

  19. UNSCEAR 2011 conclusions • As in its 1996 recommendations, UNSCEAR considers that chronic dose rates of • less than 100 μGy h‑1 to the most highly exposed individuals would be unlikely to have significant effects on most terrestrial communities; and • that maximum dose rates of 400 μGy h‑1 to any individual in aquatic populations of organisms would be unlikely to have any detrimental effect at the population level www.radioecology-exchange.org

  20. UNSCEAR 2011 conclusions Overall summary of (illustrative) chronic effects data for plants, fish and mammals • www.radioecology-exchange.org

  21. Biota Co-ordination Group • Revision of Basic Safety Standards • Approaches • Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety • Application • Technical cooperation on wildlife regulation RER 7005 Plan of Activities on Protection of the Environment 2005 IAEA Safety Fundamentals (2006) www.radioecology-exchange.org

  22. Safety objective is: “The fundamental safety objective is to protect people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation” www.radioecology-exchange.org

  23. IAEA Fundamental Safety Principles • Principle 7 Protection of present and future generations • People and the environment, present and future, must be protected against radiation risks • Environment = Ecosystems and populations www.radioecology-exchange.org

  24. Basic Safety Standards • Objectives • Prevention of radiological effects on flora and fauna • Man is an integral part of the environment • Ensure the sustainable use of natural resources now and in the future • Agriculture • Forestry • Fisheries • Tourism

  25. Basic Safety Standards Requirements • Consider Protection of the Environment • Registration and licensing • Setting discharge limits • Monitoring • Remediation • Protection of the environment is one factor during optimization in existing and emergency exposure situations • =>Associated Safety Guides and Safety Report under development www.radioecology-exchange.org

  26. Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment (New Safety Guide) • Guidance for the implementation of radiation protection as recommended in the new BSS • Exposures to public • Exposures to environment • How to apply radiation protection principles to exposures of the environment • Justification, Limitation, Optimization • Exposure situations • Planned, existing, emergency • Discuss the application of Derived Consideration Reference Levels => Input from ICRP Task Group

  27. Radiological Environmental Impact Analysis for Facilities and Activities (REIA) (New Safety Guide) • How to perform a Radiological Environmental Impact Assessment (REIA) • Endpoints • Models and methods • Graded approach for the REIA • Which efforts are needed for • Small users • Hospitals • Nuclear installations • How to use already existing data for REIA • Data used for assessment of exposures to the public • Results from environmental and source monitoring => Minimize efforts needed for assessing impacts to biota

  28. Regulatory Control of the Releases of Radioactive Material (Update of a Safety Guide) • Guidance to derive limits for radionuclide discharges to the environment • Public exposure • Environmental exposure • Facilities and activities • Nuclear installations • Laboratories and hospitals • Small users • NORM =>Radiological impact to biota will be an integral part of the licensing process

  29. EC • Euratom Basic Safety Standards • on 29 September 2011 the European Commission adopted the Proposal for a Council Directive laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation [COM(2011)593]. • Euratom projects • FASSET • ERICA • PROTECT • FP7 – STAR Network www.radioecology-exchange.org

  30. Other EC Drivers in the UK • Europe: Habitats and Birds Directives • On the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna • UK: Conservation (Natural Habitats) regulations 1994 • Implements the Directive in the UK. The UK has interpreted the EC Birds & Habitats Directives as requiring assessments to determine that no authorised discharges of radioactivity will impact upon protected (Natura 2000) sites. www.radioecology-exchange.org

  31. USDOE US DOE facilities are required to demonstrate annually that routine radioactive release from their sites are protective of non-human receptors DOE Order 5400.5:In addition to providing protection to members of the public, it is DOE’s objective to protect the environment from radioactive contamination to the extent practical. Assessed against dose rate limits for different organism groups established to avoid measurable impairment of reproductive capacity Objective: to protect the terrestrial and aquatic environment, including populations of animals and plants within and beyond the boundaries of DOE sites ……

  32. Differences between chemical and radiological risk assessments www.radioecology-exchange.org

  33. M input g ha-1 a-1 H+ Soil water Soil solids Maq M-soil Mz+ M-DOM M-X M output = [M]aq x runoff Soil bioavailability www.radioecology-exchange.org

  34. Approaches for chemicals in the environment • Direct toxicity in soil and water:the assessment of toxicity thresholds for plants, invertebrates and microbial processes • Higher organism health:comparison with • Concentration in food eaten • Ingested amount per unit liveweight of receptor species • Concentration in organs of species compared to a risk quotient • Human health: quantifying exposure to contaminants and assessing acceptable intake values www.radioecology-exchange.org

  35. Some examples of assessments being conducted • Sweden, UK, Canada & Finland – waste repositories • England & Wales >700 authorisations impacting on (protected) Natura 2000 sites • USDOE sites – assessment is an annual requirement • U industry – (e.g. Canada, Australia) • New build power plants (e.g. UK) • Decommissioning (e.g. Lithuania) www.radioecology-exchange.org

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