International Atomic Energy Agency Member States Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF RADIOECOLOGICAL MONITORING CONCEPTS IN AREAS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY FACILITIES

This article presents an analysis of international documents on the justification of monitoring systems in areas where nuclear facilities are located. The main international organization that regulates radiation safety, including requirements for the organization of radiation control and monitoring of radioactive contamination of the environment, is the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA Statute authorizes the Agency to establish safety standards to protect health and minimize the consequences to life and property of activities involving the use of radiation technologies. The IAEA safety standards must be used in its own work, and IAEA member states can apply them by incorporating them into their nuclear and radiation safety regulations. Regularly reviewed IAEA safety standards are a key element of the global regime for the protection of people and the environment.

Contribution of IAEA coordinated research projects to light water reactors advanced technology fuel testing and simulation

The Fukushima-Daiichi accident in 2011 highlighted the pressing need for enhanced design and safety analysis of nuclear fuels, especially under accident conditions in nuclear power plants (NPPs). To address this need, the international nuclear fuel community has developed several concepts of Accident Tolerant and Advanced Technology Fuels (ATFs) for light water reactors. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at the request of its Member States, has initiated a series of three Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs) to aid in the development and testing of these ATFs. These projects, known as FUMAC, ACTOF, and ATF-TS, focus on the experimentation and simulation of ATFs under various accident conditions, including design basis accidents and design extension conditions. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the main activities, as well as the achieved or anticipated results of these three CRPs. The insights and advancements gained from these projects will enable IAEA Member States to further refine nuclear fission technology, thereby contributing to efforts aimed at mitigating climate change.

Nuclear decommissioning: project management and leadership

Abstract. Management and leadership for safety relate to managerial competencies necessary to develop, promote and sustain a safety culture and to set goals, lead others and manage knowledge and projects to enhance safety performance. The development of these competencies is needed to enrich and complement the predominant technical background and skills of engineers and/or managers involved in the nuclear sector and particularly in decommissioning and dismantling (D&D) projects. The recent recognition of the importance of managing for safety led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to develop formal safety requirements that are now implemented by its member states. This includes the need to develop training and education for beginning- and mid-career managers with nuclear safety responsibilities and, considering the time frame of D&D projects, for future generations of managers. Training and education challenges are acute in all Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) and European countries, where managers need to develop knowledge and comprehensive safety-related competencies to run the D&D projects of nuclear facilities in a context where the generational change of managers in the nuclear field is happening fast. In 2016/2017 the IAEA and the European Commission (EC) developed a cooperative framework to jointly address a similar challenge related to operation and regulatory oversight of nuclear installations. The development of these projects was possible by funding from the European Union (EU) through its INSC instrument. The first project, led by the IAEA in 2017, was the development of a pilot school for safety leadership at the University Côte d'Azur (UCA), France. Encouraged by this success, the agency has since then developed the syllabus into a 2-week programme, still based on experiential learning, which is offered to IAEA member states who wish to organise sessions for their managers (regulatory bodies or industry). The second project, named ELSE, was operated by UCA and aimed to develop training to help managers acquire leadership for safety capabilities, which are key professional requirements in complex, high-risk and highly regulated sectors such as the nuclear sector. The originality of the ELSE project stemmed from its science-based approach, integrating the most recent findings of management and other social sciences. The dedicated ELSE training programme is composed of a massive online open course (MOOC), a 10 d of face-to-face training and an individually tutored project. Based on the success of these experiences, the EU decided to prolong these actions in the field of nuclear D&D, leading to the start-up, in 2023, of the Decommissioning Management and Leadership for Safety Education (DMaLSE) project. This project has also been entrusted to UCA, in partnership with SKEMA Business School, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Jacques Repussard Conseil. DMaLSE has two main objectives, namely to develop a science-based training programme for future D&D project managers and to extend the impact of the project through bachelor-degree-level on-site training for operators involved in D&D projects.

Biological and internal dosimetry for radiation medicine: current status and future perspectives.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the Radiation-Exposed (HICARE) jointly organized two relevant workshops in Hiroshima, Japan, i.e. a Training Meeting ‘Biodosimetry in the 21st century’ (BIODOSE-21) on 10–14 June 2013 and a Workshop on ‘Biological and internal dosimetry: recent advance and clinical applications’ which took place between 17 and 21 February 2020. The main objective of the first meeting was to develop the ability of biodosimetry laboratories to use mature and novel techniques in biological dosimetry for the estimation of radiation doses received by individuals and populations. This meeting had a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region and was connected with the then on-going IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) E35008 ‘Strengthening of “Biological dosimetry” in IAEA Member States: Improvement of current techniques and intensification of collaboration and networking among the different institutes’ (2012–17). The meeting was attended by 25 participants, which included 11 lecturers. The 14 trainees for this meeting came from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. During the meeting 13 lectures by HICARE and IAEA invited lecturers were delivered besides eight research reports presented by the IAEA CRP E35008 network centers from the Asia-Pacific region. Two laboratory exercises were also undertaken, one each at Hiroshima University and the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF). The second training workshop aimed to discuss with the participants the use of mature and novel techniques in biological and internal dosimetry for the estimation of radiation effects by accidental, environmental and medical exposures. The workshop was attended by 19 participants from Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, Philippines, Singapore, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, UAE, USA and Yemen. The main outcome of both meetings was a review of the state-of-the-art of biodosimetry and internal dosimetry and their future perspectives in medical management. This report highlights the learning outcome of two meetings for the benefit of all stake-holders in the field of biological and internal dosimetry.

Paediatric nuclear medicine practice: an international survey by the IAEA

PurposeThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to initiate a survey to evaluate the current status of the practice of paediatric nuclear medicine worldwide, with the focus mainly on low and middle-income countries specifically in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. This investigation sought to determine if the practice in paediatric nuclear medicine in these countries differed from that indicated by the survey of the Nuclear Medicine Global Initiative (NMGI) and if nuclear medicine practitioners were following established paediatric nuclear medicine guidelines.MethodsA total of 133 institutes took part in the survey from 62 different IAEA member states within Africa (29), Asia (39), Europe (29) and Latin America (36). The four most frequent conventional (single-photon) nuclear medicine procedures were 99mTc labelled MDP, DSMA, MAG3 and pertechnetate thyroid scans. In addition, 46 centres provided data on FDG PET/CT, including exposure data for the CT component. Nearly half of the sites (48%) perform less than 200 paediatric nuclear medicine studies per year, while 11% perform more than 1000 such studies per year.ResultsAdministered activities largely exceeded the recommendations for most of the sites for DMSA, MAG3 and pertechnetate, while compliance with international standards was somehow better for MDP studies. For FDG PET, the results were more uniform than for conventional nuclear medicine procedures. However, the use of CT in PET/CT for paediatric nuclear medicine revealed a high variability and, in some cases, high, dose-length product (DLP) values. This observation indicates that further attention is warranted for optimizing clinical practice in FDG PET/CT.ConclusionsOverall, in most parts of the world, efforts have been undertaken to comply either with the EANM dosage card or with the North American Consensus Guidelines. However, variability in the practice of paediatric nuclear medicine still exists. The results of this survey provide valuable recommendations for a path towards global standardization of determining the amount of activity to be administered to children undergoing nuclear medicine procedures.

Testing the methodology for a dosimetric end-to-end audit of IMRT/VMAT: results of IAEA multicentre and national studies

Introduction: Within an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) co-ordinated research project (CRP), a remote end-to-end dosimetric quality audit for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)/ volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) was developed to verify the radiotherapy chain including imaging, treatment planning and dose delivery. The methodology as well as the results obtained in a multicentre pilot study and national trial runs conducted in close cooperation with dosimetry audit networks (DANs) of IAEA Member States are presented.Material and methods: A solid polystyrene phantom containing a dosimetry insert with an irregular solid water planning target volume (PTV) and organ at risk (OAR) was designed for this audit. The insert can be preloaded with radiochromic film and four thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). For the audit, radiotherapy centres were asked to scan the phantom, contour the structures, create an IMRT/VMAT treatment plan and irradiate the phantom. The dose prescription was to deliver 4 Gy to the PTV in two fractions and to limit the OAR dose to a maximum of 2.8 Gy. The TLD measured doses and film measured dose distributions were compared with the TPS calculations.Results: Sixteen hospitals from 13 countries and 64 hospitals from 6 countries participated in the multicenter pilot study and in the national runs, respectively. The TLD results for the PTV were all within ±5% acceptance limit for the multicentre pilot study, whereas for national runs, 17 participants failed to meet this criterion. All measured doses in the OAR were below the treatment planning constraint. The film analysis identified seven plans in national runs below the 90% passing rate gamma criteria.Conclusion: The results proved that the methodology of the IMRT/VMAT dosimetric end-to-end audit was feasible for its intended purpose, i.e., the phantom design and materials were suitable; the phantom was easy to use and it was robust enough for shipment. Most importantly the audit methodology was capable of identifying suboptimal IMRT/VMAT delivery.

An IAEA multi-technique X-ray spectrometry endstation at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste: benchmarking results and interdisciplinary applications.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) jointly with the Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste (EST) operates a multipurpose X-ray spectrometry endstation at the X-ray Fluorescence beamline (10.1L). The facility has been available to external users since the beginning of 2015 through the peer-review process of EST. Using this collaboration framework, the IAEA supports and promotes synchrotron-radiation-based research and training activities for various research groups from the IAEA Member States, especially those who have limited previous experience and resources to access a synchrotron radiation facility. This paper aims to provide a broad overview about various analytical capabilities, intrinsic features and performance figures of the IAEA X-ray spectrometry endstation through the measured results. The IAEA-EST endstation works with monochromatic X-rays in the energy range 3.7-14 keV for the Elettra storage ring operating at 2.0 or 2.4 GeV electron energy. It offers a combination of different advanced analytical probes, e.g. X-ray reflectivity, X-ray absorption fine-structure measurements, grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence measurements, using different excitation and detection geometries, and thereby supports a comprehensive characterization for different kinds of nanostructured and bulk materials.

Naujas požiūris į onkologinių ligonių spindulinį gydymą – individualaus radiojautrio tyrimas

Siekiant pažaboti vėžį, spindulinis gydymas ski- riamas kaip savarankiškas, radikalus metodas arba kombinuojamas su kitais vėžio gydymo metodais. Šiuolaikinėje radioterapijoje dirbantys specialistai siekia optimizuoti terapinę jonizuojančios spindu- liuotės dozę navikui. Tačiau dažnai jos dydį riboja ūmių ir vėlyvųjų spindulinių reakcijų naviko nepa- žeistiems audiniams pasireiškimo dažnis ir laipsnis. Pirmasis ryšio tarp gydymo jonizuojančiąja spindu- liuote šalutinių poveikių pasireiškimo ir chromoso- mų pažaidų kiekio limfocituose tyrimas Lietuvo- je pradėtas 2014 m. bendradarbiaujant Radiacinės saugos centrui su Klaipėdos universitetine ligonine. Šio tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti ryšį tarp onkologinių ligonių gydomų jonizuojančiąja spinduliuote ūmių ir vėlyvųjų spindulinių reakcijų pasireiškimo dažnio ir chromosomų pažaidų kiekio limfocituose panau- dojant citogenetinius metodus. Šis tyrimas svarbus ateities tyrimams, siekiant identifikuoti jautresnių jonizuojančiai spinduliuotei pacientų grupę.

Approach for use of acceleration values for packages of radioactive material under routine conditions of transport

AbstractThe most relevant source of reference for load cases of packages for the transport of radioactive material under routine conditions is Appendix IV of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Advisory Material TS-G-1·1. The acceleration values given there leave many questions open and have to be agreed upon with the involved competent authorities. Consequently, the actual load cases applied for a safety analysis may differ widely and could cause problems for international transport. To avoid such difficulties, it seems obvious that the according passages in TS-G-1·1 should be modified with the objective of making the load case data more consistent for a harmonized application in the IAEA member states. Papers pointing out in this direction were discussed at the PATRAM 2010 conference. The way to improve the acceleration data may lie in investigations and measurements considering, for example different types of vehicles and package masses. However, what should be the goal of such kind of survey...

Unilateral Approval—Is it Working?

MDS Nordion, owned by Canadian based MDS Inc., designs, manufactures and uses transport packages for the distribution of radioactive materials used in the medical, research and sterilisation indust...

Strengthening Radiopharmacy Practice in IAEA Member States

Radiopharmaceuticals are essential components of nuclear medicine procedures. Without radiopharmaceuticals nuclear medicine procedures cannot be performed. Therefore it could be said that 'No radiopharmaceutical-no nuclear medicine.' A good radiopharmacy practice supports nuclear medicine activities by producing radiopharmaceuticals that are safe and are of the required quality in a consistent way. As with any medicinal product, radiopharmaceuticals are required to be produced under carefully controlled conditions and are tested for their quality, prior to the administration to patients, using validated standard operating procedures. These procedures are based on the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The GMP principles are based on scientific knowledge and applicable regulatory requirements and guidance related to radiopharmaceutical productions and use. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is committed to promote, in the Member States (MS), a rational and practical approach for the implementation of GMP for compounding or manufacturing of diagnostic or therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. To pursue this goal the IAEA has developed various mechanisms and collaborations with individual experts in the field and with relevant national and international institutions or organizations. IAEA's activities in promoting radiopharmaceutical science include commissioning expert advice in the form of publications on radiopharmaceutical production, quality control and usage, producing technical guidance on production and regulatory aspects related to new radiopharmaceuticals, creating guidance documentation for self or internal audits of radiopharmaceutical production facilities, producing guidance on implementation of Quality Management System and GMP in radiopharmacy, assisting in creation of specific radiopharmaceutical monographs for the International Pharmacopoeia, and developing radiopharmacy-related human resource capabilities in MS through individual and regional training courses and education programs. IAEA strongly supports development of clinical nuclear medicine services by assisting MS in setting up reliable Radiopharmaceutical production facilities for single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and for therapeutic applications.

Trends in Nuclear Medicine in Developing Countries

This article describes trends in nuclear medicine in the developing world as noted by nuclear medicine professionals at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The trends identified are based on data gathered from several sources, including information gathered through a database maintained by the IAEA; evaluation of country program frameworks of various IAEA Member States; personal interactions with representatives in the nuclear medicine field from different regions of the world; official proceedings and meeting reports of the IAEA; participation in numerous national, regional, and international conferences; discussions with the leadership of major professional societies; and relevant literature. The information presented in this article relied on both objective and subjective observations. The aims of this article were to reflect on recent developments in the specialty of nuclear medicine and to envision the directions in which it is progressing. These issues are examined in terms of dimensions of practice, growth, and educational and training needs in the field of nuclear medicine. This article will enable readers to gain perspective on the status of nuclear medicine practice, with a specific focus on the developing world, and to examine needs and trends arising from the observations.

WE‐G‐BRC‐03: Medical Physics Beyond Borders: IAEA Educational Resources Relevant to Both the Developed and Developing World

Purpose: To summarize the medical physics educational and training materials freely available through the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Methods: The IAEA works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. Much this work relates to human health, including the worldwide cancer problem. The medical physicist fulfils an essential role in the safe and effective use of radiation in medicine, most commonly in cancer treatment, x‐ray diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine. The IAEA produces a large amount of educational and training materials much of which is relevant to the medical physics community worldwide. Resource materials range from setting up a radiation therapy program, to dosimetry calibration protocols, quality assurance guidance documents, basic medical physics education textbooks, along with thousands of ready‐made PowerPoint slides downloadable and ready to use by students and instructors. Furthermore, a detailed residency training program is now available for radiation oncology physics and similar material for diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine physicists is in print. Results: These resource materials are available through the IAEA website, http://www.iaea.org and subcomponents of this website including the newly developed website called “IAEA Human Health Campus”, http://humanhealth.iaea.org. Furthermore, there are significant patient safety resources available through the “Radiation Protection of the Patient” website, http://rpop.iaea.org/, also including multiple PowerPoint presentations. New teaching/learning resources are being developed for advancing to more sophisticated image‐based radiation therapy, ranging from 2‐D to intensity‐modulated and image‐guided radiation therapy. Conclusions: The IAEA has developed a wealth of educational resources now readily and freely available through its new “Human Health Campus” website. These resource materials and website contents are continuously evolving to meet the increasing needs of the IAEA member states. The emphasis is on advancing radiation medicine safely and effectively. Many of these resources are useful to the medical physics community worldwide.

Assurance of Supply: A New Framework for Nuclear Energy

are driving a potential expansion in the use of nuclear energy. Dozens of states have approached the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for guidance as they explore the possibility of building nuclear power reactors for the first time. With an expansion and spread of nuclear energy will come an expanded demand for nuclear fuel, and for the management of spent nuclear fuel. Where will the fuel supply for an expanded global reactor fleet come from? Will it remain in the hands of existing suppliers, with expanded capacity? Will new states develop their own national enrichment capabilities, adding to the number of states with the capacity to produce either fuel for nuclear power reactors or material for nuclear weapons? Or will multilateral nuclear fuel cycle facilities emerge to meet expanding demand? Many IAEA member states have expressed mounting concern over the risks that could be created by the further spread of technologies such as uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing—key technologies for the production of fuel for nuclear power reactors that could also be used to produce material for nuclear weapons. The convergence of these realities points to the need to develop a new framework for the nuclear fuel cycle that provides reliable and predictable access to nuclear fuel and power reactors while strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. Establishing a framework that is equitable and accessible to all users of nuclear energy acting in accordance with agreed nonproliferation norms will be a complex endeavor and should be addressed through a series of interlinked, progressive steps. The first step would be to establish mechanisms that provide assurance of the supply of fuel for nuclear power reactors—and, as needed, assurance of the acqui-

A future vision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) program on radiation and tissue banking for Asia and the Pacific and Latin American regions

In order to solve some of the problems that are affecting tissue banking activities in the world, a new program/project proposal could be prepared by the IAEA and interested Member States in order to implement it in 2009. The main objective of the new program/project proposal could be the following: To consolidate tissue banks activities in a selected group of IAEA Member States by increasing the quality of the tissue processing and sterilization methods used. The specific objective to be reached by the new program/project proposal could be the following: To reach international standards in all activities carried out by a selected group of tissue banks, as well as the establishment of a limited regional tissue processing centres in specific regions. The following are the conditions to be met by the interested tissue banks, in order to participate in the new program/project proposal: To process different types of tissues for medical treatment using the ionizing radiation technique for tissue sterilization; To apply at least one of the current version of the IAEA Code of Practice, the IAEA Standards and the IAEA Public Awareness Strategies and to have the support of national health authorities for the use of the remaining IAEA documents in the near future; To have in force agreements with public and private hospitals for the use of the sterilized tissues processed by the bank for medical treatment; To have in place a donor referral system, or has the approval by the national health authorities to adopt such system in the near future; To receive the support from the national health authority to participate in the implementation of the new program/project proposal.

Intercomparison on Measurements of the Quantity Personal Dose Equivalent Hp(d) in Mixed (Neutron-Gamma) Fields--an IAEA Project

Within its occupational radiation protection programme, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiated and funded an international intercomparison exercise of personal dosemeters to determine the quantity personal dose equivalent in mixed neutron-photon radiation. The objectives of the intercomparison are to assess the capabilities of the dosimetry services in measuring the quantity Hp(10) in mixed neutron-gamma fields; to assist IAEA member states in achieving sufficiently accurate dosimetry; and, if necessary, to provide guidelines for improvements (not simply a test of the performance of the existing dosimetry service). The intercomparison is directed to passive dosemeters to determine, in mixed neutron-gamma radiation fields, either these two components separately or the total personal dose equivalent. The intercomparison consists of two phases: Phase I--Type-test intercomparison: irradiation in selected calibration fields and results used to improve dosimetric procedures of participating laboratories, where needed. Phase II--Simulated workplace field intercomparison: irradiation in radiation fields similar to those in workplaces as a final check of performance. The exercise revealed clear deficiencies in the methodology used by several laboratories and necessitated a detailed analysis of the existing discrepancies. This papers summaries the finding and conclusions for radiation fields similar to those found in nuclear industry.

An overview of recent IAEA projects on mercury in non-marine environments

Nuclear and isotopic techniques are unique tools for studying mercury contamination and cycling in various environments. Therefore, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been supporting the use of nuclear and complementary analytical techniques (mainly neutron activation analysis, inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry), and application of radioactive and enriched stable isotopes in its member states since many years. The main mechanisms of support have been technical cooperation and coordinated research projects. Whilst the technical cooperation projects have helped in solving technical problems and providing know-how in the developing member states, the research projects have supported both basic and applied research. So far, participants from 18 IAEA member states have taken part in projects concerned with non-marine environments. In this paper, IAEA's supportive mechanisms are presented and the results of recently finished and on-going projects are discussed. As an important part of the IAEA activities, several interlaboratory comparison exercises were organised and reference materials characterised for both total and methylmercury issued.

Nuclear seawater desalination — IAEA activities and economic evaluation for southern Europe

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has addressed the issue of seawater desalination for potable water production with renewed intensity since 1989. It has been found that there are no technical impediments to the use of nuclear reactors as an energy source for seawater desalination. Highlights of projects regarding nuclear desalination in several of the IAEA Member States are described, such as a feasibility study in Morocco using a Chinese heating reactor and facilities in India. The role of nuclear energy in the next century is discussed; economics, security of supply and the overall goal of a sound energy mix in national energy plans have been considerations in the choice of nuclear power along with an awarenness of its environmental benefits. The IAEA has developed a computer software package, Desalination Economic Evaluation Programme (DEEP), used for the economic comparison of different seawater desalination options. Its economic evaluation methodology is described. In 1998, the IAEA initiated the most comprehensive comparative study to date on nuclear seawater desalination of its kind. The DEEP software was used for the economic comparison of different seawater desalination options after a validation of the software by international experts. The study was conducted for three different regions of the world, being described by different labour costs, interest rates, and seawater conditions; in each region two economic scenarios were calculated, favouring nuclear and fossil options, respectively. Reverse osmosis, multi-effect distillation and multi-stage flash were chosen as desalination technologies to be coupled to ten selected power options, including pressurized water reactors and pressurized heavy water reactors, as well as to fossil-fueled plants (coal and combined cycle). Results are presented for the region of southern Europe. Without considering all input data in detail, and also taking into account results from previous studies, it was found that nuclear and fossil desalination yield water costs in the same range. More specific results and findings regarding a comparison between nuclear and fossil options are given in the paper. The desalination of seawater using nuclear energy is a cost competitive and feasible option for potable water production.