SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON PROTECTION AGAINST IONIZING RADIATIONS IN SMALL COUNTRIES BESIDE THE IMPORTANT NUCLEAR ENERGY CENTERS.

Abstract

The protection of individuals and populations from the hazards of ionizing radiation now widely used in medicine and industry is under constant study by various national and international organizations. These organizations issue recommendations regarding safe levels of exposure and the methods of achieving effective protection. They examine their recommendations recurringly in the light of new knowledge gained in the field and issue necessary additions and revisions accordingly. In Belgium, overall responsibility for the radiation protection of nuclear workers and the population as a whole is assigned to the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Public Health. These ministries have formulated and issued protection regulations generally based on the recommendations published by Euratom. To obtain license to use radioactive materials in Belgium, the future user must prove to the ministerial authorities that his organization is qualified to handle such materials safely. Special medical controls must be provided including periodic physical examination of all nuclear workers for the detection of radiation injury or disease. Although the requirements for license do not absolutely neglect the physical aspects of the licensee's protection program, specific methods and practices to achieve effective protection are not emphasized or well defined in the existing regulations. The authors take into account that the total research and development effort in nuclear sciences in small countries may be rather limited in comparison to nations having the larger nuclear centers. Consequently the number of graduate level health physicists available in small countries may be correspondingly limited. To fulfil this need and to enable small nations to provide effective protection for their nuclear workers, the authors propose the following solution. Small countries should: (1) Establish special training programs for health physicists in regions where the industrial and medical use of nuclear energy is developing and expanding. (2) Limit the number of graduates of these health physics training programs in accordance with the real needs of the country. (3) Establish health physics teams to provide technicalservices and consultation to all usersof radionuclides within each general industrial area. Each team would consist of at least two trained health physicists; one a medical officer trained in the nuclear sciences, and one a physicist with a background in medical science. Other required experts and technicians would make up the balance of the team, and, (4) Provide each team with well-suited instrumentation. The authors also give consideration to the importance of professional collaboration between individuals and groups concerned with radiation protection. Suggestions are made to promote wholesale collaboration between health physicists and health physics sections within each country and between these groups and the national and international organizations concerned with radiation protection.