Abstract
Abstract. More than 23 million workers worldwide are occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and all people in the world are exposed to environmental radiation. The mean exposure, that is the mean annual dose of per person, is dominated by medical applications and exposure to natural sources. Due to recent developments in healthcare, e.g. the increasing application of ionising radiation in medical imaging with relative high doses like CT, and modern high dose applications (for example CT angiography), the exposure due to medical application has risen. Additionally, the changes in living conditions increase the exposure to natural radioactivity also: More living time is spent in buildings or in an urban environment, which causes higher exposure to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) in building materials and higher exposure to radon. The level of radon activity concentration in buildings is far higher than in the environment (outdoor). This effect is often amplified by modern energy-efficient buildings which reduce the air exchange and thus increase the radon indoor activity concentration. In summary both medical application of ionizing radiation and natural sources are responsible for the increase of the mean annual exposure of the population. The accurate measurement of radiation dose is key to ensuring safety but there are two challenges to be faced: First, new standards and reference fields are needed due to the rapid developments in medical imaging, radiotherapy and industrial applications. Second, direct communication channels are needed to ensure that information on best practice in measurements reaches effectively and quickly the people concerned. It is therefore necessary to allow for an international exchange of information on identified problems and solutions. Consequently, a European Metrology Network (EMN) for radiation protection under the roof of EURAMET is in the foundation phase. This network EMN for Radiation Protection is being prepared by the project EMPIR 19NET03 supportBSS. The project aims to prepare this EMN by addressing this issue through the identification of stakeholder research needs and by implementing a long-term ongoing dialogue between stakeholders and the metrology community. The EMN will serve as a unique point of contact to address all metrological needs related to radiation protection and it will relate to all environmental processes where ionising radiation and radionuclides are involved. A Strategic Research Agenda and two roadmaps are in development, covering the metrology needs of both the Euratom Treaty and the EU Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM pinning down the basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation. Furthermore, long-term knowledge sharing, and capacity building will be supported and a proposal for a sustainable joint European metrology infrastructure is under way. This will significantly strengthen the radiation protection metrology and support radiation protection measures. The final goal of the network project is a harmonised, sustainable, coordinated and smartly specialised infrastructure to underpin the current and future needs expressed in the European regulations for radiation protection.
Highlights
Introduction and motivationRadiation protection legislation has been revised to better protect European citizens Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, 2013)
A virtual workshop on gaps in radiation protection metrology was held on 11 September 2020
The topics considered most important in terms of radiation protection metrology were summarized in six main categories: Reference fields, radiation protection quantities, education and training needs, measurement devices for radiation protection in medical or industry applications of ionizing radiation or for environmental monitoring and handling and transmission of measurement data, activity standards, and type testing including harmonisation of the national requirements by radiation protection legislation, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and accreditation
Summary
Radiation protection legislation has been revised to better protect European citizens Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, 2013). The overall aim is to develop a long-term dialogue between the metrology community and relevant stakeholders in the field of radiation protection The need for this development can be understood best by a reflection to the history of radiation protection. Though the intention is to better protect the staff, the acceptance is poor: The limits are not generally accepted by medical experts, the best wearing position of the dosemeter is under discussion and the additional costs must be covered by the hospitals Another recent example is the radiation protection against radon: The national reference levels for indoor radon activity concentration in dwellings and workplaces alike must be set below 300 Bq/m3 and it is a requirement for all member states to have delineation of Radon priority areas (Bossew, 2018). The need to implement this dialogue was observed and will be extended by collection of needs from stakeholders
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