A Brief Overview of the Radioprotection Activities in the Joint Research Centre
Ispra - Italy
Nina JUDGE * and Francesco D’ALBERTI **
* Medical Service Ispra, DG ADMINISTRATION- L7, JRC - Ispra** The Safety, Security and Radiological Protection Unit - IPSC, JRC - Ispra.
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THE JRC'S MISSION
To provide customer driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of
the European Union policies
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The seven JRC institutes are located in five Member States
Geel
Karlsruhe
Institute for Transuranium ElementsITU
Institute for Reference Materials and MeasurementsIRMM
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Ispra
Petten
Seville
Institute for Environment and Sustainability IES Institute for Health and Consumer Protection IHCPInstitute for Protection and Security of the Citizen IPSC
Energy Institute EI
Institute for Perspective Technological Studies IPTS
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THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE - ISPRA
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THE RADIOPROTECTION ACTIVITIES
Medical Service Ispra
Capabilities
Provides routine bioassay monitoring for workers on and off the site On - site Emergency decontamination facility
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Analysis capabilities include:
• Ion Coupled Plasma -Mass Spectrometry
• Gamma Spectrometry
• Alpha spectrometry for plutonium, americium, uranium, thorium, neptunium and others
•Tritium analysis in bioassay samples
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Fig.1 ICP-MS laboratory
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Fig.2 Alpha Spectrometry laboratory with 90 counting chambers
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Fig.3 Microdigest 3.6 open vessel digestion of twelve samples simultaneously
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Fig.4 Electrodeposition apparatus
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Am - 241 Pu -238 Pu - 239 + 240
mBq/l mBq/l mBq/l
1998 0,1 0,1 0,1
1999 0,1 0,1 0,1
2000 0,1 0,1 0,1
2001 0,1 0,1 0,1
Minimum Detectable Amount
Am - 241 Pu -238 Pu - 239 + 240
Number of samples per year Method
mBq/l mBq/l mBq/l
1998 < MDA < MDA < MDA 301 a Spectrometry
1999 < MDA < MDA < MDA 376 a Spectrometry
2000 < MDA < MDA < MDA 375 a Spectrometry
2001 < MDA < MDA < MDA 302 a Spectrometry
Radionuclides in Urine
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Detection limitU-238
ng/l1998 101999 102000 102001 10
Total number of samples per year <10 10 to 50 50 to100 Method
ng/l ng/l ng/l
1998 301 72% 27% 1% ICP-MS
1999 376 72% 27% 1% ICP-MS
2000 375 77% 23% ICP-MS
2001 302 85% 14% 1% ICP-MS
Uranium 238 in Urine
It can be concluded that these results do not show any observable concentrations of Am- 241, Pu- 238, Pu- 239,240
and U- 238 contamination in the urine samples analysed.
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The Safety, Security and Radiological Protection Unit IPSC- JRC - Ispra
TASKS AND ACTIVITIES
Control of environmental radioactivity inside and outside the JRC
Control of the workers exposed to ionising radiation
Radioprotection Support to the European Union
Consultancy in Radioprotection, instrument calibration and meteorological data for third parties
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FACILITIES
Radiochemistry laboratory(sample treatment)
Radiometry laboratory (, and radioactivity)
On-line Data System ( and radioactivity in airborne continuously sampled)
Dosimetry Service (environment and workers’ dose assessment)
Instrument Calibration Laboratory (Accredited Secondary Standards Laboratory)
Whole Body Counter (internal contamination)
Meteorological Observatory (pressure, temperature, humidity, solar radiation, intensity and direction of wind)
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The Safety, Security and Radiological Protection Unit
IPSC- JRC - Ispra
INSTRUMENTS
spectrometry system (solid state detectors)
spectrometry system (solid state detectors)
gross and system ZnS(Ag) and GM counters)
HTO system (liquid scintillator counters)
environmental radiation (plastic scintillator counters)
dose (TLD badges and reader)
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MEASUREMENTS OF RADIOACTIVITY IN ENVIROMENTAL SAMPLESat The Safety, Security and Radiological Protection Unit, IPSC -JRC - Ispra
airborne samples (HTO, gross and spectr., gross and 90Sr, spectr.) ~ 500/y
fall-out samples (HTO, gross and spectr., gross and 90Sr, spectr.) ~ 80/y
water samples (HTO, gross, gross and 90Sr, spectr.) ~ 350/y
soil samples ( spectr.) ~ 12/y
herbage samples (90Sr, spectr.) ~ 50/y
milk samples (HTO, 90Sr, spectr.) ~ 70/y
fish samples ( spectr.) ~ 10/y
various samples ( spectr.) ~ 50/y
environmentdose rate (TLD) ~ 250/y
Total ~ 1400/y
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ISPRA DATA
1,00E-04
1,00E-03
1,00E-02
1,00E-01
1,00E+00
1958 1966 1974 1982 1990
Gross beta radioactivity in air
1958-1996 (Bq/m3)
1,00E-01
1,00E+00
1,00E+01
1,00E+02
1,00E+03
1,00E+04
1,00E+05
1958 1966 1974 1982 1990
Gross beta radioactivity in fall-out
1958-1996 (Bq/m2)
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ISPRA DATA
1,00E-07
1,00E-06
1,00E-05
1,00E-04
1,00E-03
1,00E-02
1958 1966 1974 1982 1990
90Sr radioactivity in air 1962-1996
(Bq/m3)
N
O
D
A
T
A
1,00E-02
1,00E-01
1,00E+00
1,00E+01
1,00E+02
1,00E+03
1958 1966 1974 1982 1990
90Sr radioactivity in fall-out
1958-1996 (Bq/m2)
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ISPRA DATA
1,00E-06
1,00E-05
1,00E-04
1,00E-03
1,00E-02
1,00E-01
1958 1966 1974 1982 1990
N
O
D
A
T
A
137Cs radioactivity in air 1962-1996
(Bq/m3)
1,00E-01
1,00E+00
1,00E+01
1,00E+02
1,00E+03
1,00E+04
1958 1966 1974 1982 1990
137Cs radioactivity in fall-out
1958-1996 (Bq/m2)
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ISPRA DATA
0,0E+00
5,0E+00
1,0E+01
1,5E+01
2,0E+01
2,5E+01
3,0E+01
1960 1968 1976 1984 1992
90Sr radioactivity in herbage
1960-1996 (Bq/g(Ca))
0,0E+00
5,0E-01
1,0E+00
1,5E+00
2,0E+00
2,5E+00
1960 1968 1976 1984 1992
90Sr radioactivity in milk 1960-1996
(Bq/g(Ca))
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ISPRA DATA
1,0E-02
1,0E-01
1,0E+00
1,0E+01
1,0E+02
1960 1968 1976 1984 1992
137Cs radioactivity in herbage
1960-1996 (Bq/g(k))
1,0E-02
1,0E-01
1,0E+00
1,0E+01
1,0E+02
1960 1968 1976 1984 1992
137Cs radioactivity in milk 1960-1996
(Bq/g(k))
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0,10
1,00
10,00
100,00
1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996
90Sr137Cs
herbage/milk ratio for 90
Sr and 137
Cs
ISPRA DATA
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ISPRA DATA
1,00E-10
1,00E-09
1,00E-08
1,00E-07
1,00E-06
1,00E-05
1,00E-04
1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991
Pu-239+240
Pu-238
239-240Pu and
238Pu in air 1961-1995 (Bq/m )
3
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ISPRA DATA
0,0E+00
5,0E+01
1,0E+02
1,5E+02
2,0E+02
1977 1982 1987 1992
Gamma dose inside JRC 1977-1996 (nSv/h)
0,0E+00
5,0E+01
1,0E+02
1,5E+02
2,0E+02
1977 1982 1987 1992
Gamma dose outside JRC 1977-1996 (nSv/h)
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ISPRA DATA
The presence of low contamination in the environment around JRC and the possible doses to the population are due to the consequences of:
•the nuclear accident in Chernobyl
•the nuclear experiments performed in the atmosphere around 1960
The radioactive effluents discharged by the JRC establishment in the environment have always implied a negligible effective dose
equivalent
The evaluation of the data through the years must take into account the changes in the instrumentation i.e. the improvement of the minimum detectable activities.