COGEMA La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant is located in the North West of Cotentin peninsula near Cherbourg (France). This nuclear plant releases radioelements in atmosphere and in the English Channel. About 8.5 TBq.year-1 of radiocarbon are released as the liquid wastes through a pipe a few kilometres off sea shore, West of the reprocessing plant. Recent studies in the peninsula show anomalous higher radiocarbon contents in vegetation near the coast that have suggested a supplementary marine contribution through the degassing of the 14C excess supplied by liquid releases of the nuclear plant. Carbon dioxide partial pressure, 14C activities were measured in air and sea water in the Bay of Seine and around the COGEMA-La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant during three cruises in 2000 and 2002. Results show clearly that sea is a source of CO2 and 14C to the atmosphere. Higher 14C concentrations in air and water related to the La Hague liquid wastes are clearly recorded. The aim of this paper is to show results of these oceanographic campaigns. Flux between seawater and atmosphere are calculated in the North-West Cotentin and in Bay of Seine.

The European Platform on Preparedness for Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Response andRecovery (NERIS Platform) was established in June 15, 2010. The Mission of NERIS is topromote the involvement of different stakeholders and improve public confidence incapabilities of the key players in management of nuclear and radiological emergencies inEurope. The NERIS Platform encourages European, national, regional and local authorities,technical support organisations (TSOs), operators, professional organisations, researchinstitutes, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and national and localstakeholders to co-operate in emergency management, and to facilitate access to expertiseand technology in maintaining competence in the field of nuclear and radiologicalemergency management for the benefit of European countries and citizens. The vision isthat by 2015, the self-sustaining NERIS association exists, and by 2020, all Europeanorganisations being members of the association are sharing common views and commonapproaches and are developing and using compatible technology and methods for consequencemanagement of the emergencies. The NERIS Platform has, in September 2012, 43 memberorganisations representing stakeholders with a wide range of backgrounds, e.g.authorities, emergency centres, research organisations and the academiccommunity. The Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), being under preparation, will provide thebasis for priorities of future research and development in order to achieve the vision.The SRA therefore will communicate the future research needs, but will also be aninstrument for creating synergies, co-operation and coordination internally between theNERIS participants and externally with activities taking place within other internationalforums.

The quantification of radionuclides by direct gamma-X spectrometry with energy below 100 keV requires knowledge the elementary composition of the sample or the development of a device for determining the mass attenuation coefficients. This is especially true for 129I which is characterised by a 29.8 keV X-ray and 39.6 keV gamma ray. Experimental equipment has been developed in order to obtain this mass attenuation coefficient as a function of energy. 129I concentrations were measured in samples of seaweed (Fucus serratus and Laminaria digitata) collected monthly over a period of one year nearby La Hague reprocessing plant in France. This paper describes the measurement methodology used to determine 129I concentrations and variations in the two seaweeds over a one-year period. Mean mass attenuation coefficients for 129I energies were established in order to determine the self-attenuation corrective factor for both seaweed species, regardless of the sampling date.

An accurate model of atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides over the complex terrain of La Hague reprocessing plant (North Cotentin, France) has been developed by COGEMA, in partnership with Paris VI University, and has been yet adapted for an other industrial site (Marcoule). This model, called CEDRAT, takes into account areas typically outside the validity range of Gaussian models: topography and building influence, short-distance (beyond 500 m from the release point) and various atmospheric stability conditions. CEDRAT allows to reach an effective compromise between rapidity (30 min on a 6000 nodes grid, on a standard PC), robustness and accuracy, coupled with a user-friendly interface. The validation process consisted first of a comparison with the 3D reference model MERCURE, developed by EDF, and then, results of both models were compared on release scenarios thanks to tracer data (Krypton-85, an inert gas released from a height of 100 m) collected at five monitoring stations around the site. Then a second level of comparison, presented here, was made in collaboration with the IRSN Cherbourg Radioecological Laboratory, on ground and altitude (collected with a tethered balloon) field data.

La présente note a pour objet d’exposer succinctement les techniques de scannerscorporels pouvant être utilisés dans le cadre de la sûreté aéroportuaire. Les résultatsd’études et d’expertises sur ces appareils ainsi que l’expérimentation en cours sur unscanner à ondes millimétriques sont également abordés. Elle présente la réglementationfrançaise en matière de protection des personnes contre les rayonnements ionisantsdéclinée à l’utilisation de scanners corporels à rayons X.

Objectifs : évaluer l’état des connaissancesdes usagers et des professionnels de la santé sur les risques d’irradiationde la femme enceinte au cours des explorations radiologiques etl’observation de l’application des règles de radioprotection relativeà la femme enceinte par les utilisateurs de rayons X. Matériel etméthodes : notre étude prospective, réalisée au CHU de Yopougon,a duré 6 mois. Nous avons interrogé 60 femmes en grossesse ou susceptiblesde l’être, 30 médecins prescripteurs non-radiologues, 29 techniciensd’imagerie médicale et 21 aides soignants sur les risques d’irradiationet les mesures de protection de la femme enceinte avant et pendantla réalisation d’un examen radiologique utilisant les rayons X. Résultats :73,68 % des médecins prescripteurs n’ont pas de culture en radioprotectionchez une femme enceinte ou en âge de procréer. 93,10 % des patientesenceintes ou en âge de procréer ignoraient l’existence des rayonsX en radiodiagnostic et leur nocivité pour leur état. 80 % des manipulateursde radiologie ne respectaient pas les règles élémentaires de radioprotection.Conclusion : la sensibilisation des usagers des rayons X sur lesrisques d’irradiations chez une femme enceinte ou susceptible de l’êtreest nécessaire au CHU de Yopougon.

The results of investigation of radioactive contamination of the river Yenisei bed pebbles in an influence zone of the KMCC (especially in its near-field part) are presented in this work. It is demonstrated, that pebbles can contain up to 30 % of the total amount of γ-emitting technogenic radionuclides (TRN) in the places with overlying soils. In addition, river bed pebbles, situated in permanently washing riverside sections of islands and banks, can contain significant amount of TRN too. These facts considerably increase an estimation of TRN reserves in the Yenisei floodplain. Without the contribution of the river bed pebbles the fraction of TRN, accumulated in the underlying and tow path pebbles in the near and far-field influence zones of the KMCC, can reach 7,9% for 137Cs, 5,8% for 152Eu, 5,6% for 154Eu and <3% for 60Co of their total amount.

Les activités utilisant des rayonnements ionisants évoluent et nécessitent une surveillance dosimétrique adaptée. Dans le même temps, les techniques dosimétriques ont également évolué offrant notamment un choix de dosimètres électroniques plus important en particulier pour les neutrons ainsi qu’une diversification des techniques utilisables (TLD, OSL, RPL) pour la dosimétrie passive de routine. L’étude de poste est devenue incontournable afin de déterminerla façon la plus réaliste les caractéristiques de l’exposition dont résulte, entre autres, le choix des techniques passives et opérationnelles. Les différents dosimètres passifs aujourd’hui proposés par les laboratoires agréés présentent des performances globalement satisfaisantes. Par ailleurs, il existe sur le marché de multiples modèles de dosimètres électroniques susceptibles de couvrir les besoins associés à la dosimétrie opérationnelle. L’organisation d’intercomparaisons constitue un élément important du dispositif de contrôle de la bonne mise en œuvre des techniques de dosimétrie passive par les laboratoires agréés et des performances des dosimètres actifs dans des conditions réalistes d’utilisation. De telles intercomparaisons sont réalisées périodiquement, tant à un niveau national qu’international, afin de prendre en compte les évolutions des matériels, des pratiques et du plus grand nombre de situations possibles.

CBPP Kakanj is one of the most important Coal Burning Power Plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina (producing power of 450 MW, waste storage site of 5 000 000 tons). Mapping of the measured gamma-dose rate has been performed with the goal of identifying the hot spots in the area of 3×3 km surrounding CBPP Kakanj, with special emphasis on the waste storage site (1×1 km). Maximum measured of the gamma-dose rate surrounding CBPP Kakanj was 140 nGy h-1 and in the area of waste storage site 210 nGy h-1. Average levels of natural radionuclide in agricultural soil samples in vicinity of CBPP Kakanj are: for 238U is 41 ± 4 Bq kg-1, 232Th is 32 ± 1 Bq kg-1, 226Ra is 27 ± 2 Bq kg-1 and 40K is 486 ± 9 Bq kg-1. Obtained results in soil-plant-animal products chain does not show significantly increased levels of natural radionuclides due to the fact that mentioned radionuclides, in general, have a low transfer factors in soil-plant-animal products chain.

Soil contamination with Co and Cd at concentration 20–25 times exceeding the Maximum Permisible Level for sod-podzolic light loam soil produced not only negative effects on the spring barley productivity formation, but also decreasing of 137Cs root uptake. Effects of Co on the barley development and 137Cs accumulation in plants was more pronounced than Cd influence. The 137Cs activity decrease in barley biomass and harvest amounted to 2.5 and 1.6 times on Cd and Co contaminated soil, respectively. The mechanisms regulating root uptake of K by barley plants in dependence of the kind of soil contamination were discussed. Seed incrustation with Zircon and Epin did not produce significant influence on Co and Cd phytotoxicity, however the use of this plant growth regulators resulted in different in direction and value effects on Co, Cd and 137Cs accumulation in barley plants at various stages of its development. The experimental data do not make it possible to link directly the effect of biologically active substances on 137Cs uptake with their influence on heavy metals toxicity, which was estimated on the base of morphological and physiological parameters of plants.

Forsmark in Mideastern Sweden is chosen as site for the planned Swedish deep-rock repository for spent nuclear fuel. The construction, operation and decommissioning of the repository require assessments of various types of risks for health and environment on a wide range of temporal scales. This study is focused on the assessment of environmental impacts during the relatively short construction and operation phases, during which the repository will be kept drained by means of groundwater diversion. This diversion may influence hydrogeological and hydrological conditions and thereby cause ecological and other types of consequences in the surroundings of the repository. We here describe methodology and some main findings from the ecohydrological assessment of consequences for aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Forsmark. The assessment combines the results of a number of steps, including ecological field inventories and predictive water-flow modelling. The results of the study show that subsurface disposal of radioactive waste is an important application of ecohydrological concepts in assessments of sites with nature values.

Les dispositions du code de la santé publique concernant les rayonnements ionisants seront prochainement mises à jour pour achever la transposition de la directive 2003/122/Euratom du Conseil du 22 décembre 2003 relative au contrôle des sources radioactives scellées de haute activité et des sources orphelines et prendre en compte les nouvelles prérogatives accordées à l’Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN). À cette occasion, des mesures de simplification administrative seront introduites dans le régime d’autorisation et de déclaration des sources de rayonnements ionisants et les contrôles réalisés par les organismes agréés par l’ASN seront renforcées.

In the present work, external annual radiation doses in human body due to presence of 226Ra, 232Th, 238U and 40K in conventional building materials and by-products from coal power plants which are being used or have the potential for use in buildings and soil in India were calculated in the human body by using GENII radiation dose calculation computer programme (Napier et al., 1988). In the calculations, human beings receive the most radiation dose from building materials from 1.0 × 10-6 Sv from 40K and the least from 2.3 × 10-11 Sv from 232Th. It has been calculated that human beings receive total 6.3 × 10$^{-7} \pm$ 2 × 10-7 Sv radiation dose exposure from soil. Data obtained are acceptable in comparison with radiation doses attributable to building materials in OECD countries.

A new method was developed based on calculating the absorption coefficients, self-absorption coefficients and transmission coefficients of the gamma-photons emitted by different radioisotopes for evaluating gamma dose equivalent rates, at 1 meter from various cylindrical radioactive solution sources utilized in medicine, in a biological tissue. Results obtained were compared with data given in literature. The influence of the radioisotope half-life and gamma-photon energy and number of photons per disintegration on the gamma dose equivalent rate, effective dose and threshold initial activity of the considered solution sources was studied.

The EXTREME project was launched by the IRSN in 2005 to study the consequences of extreme meteo climatic events on reuptake of stocks and associated fluxes within the various compartments of the geosphere. Large masses of matter transferred during such events are liable to be displaced between locations, leading to higher pollution levels than those arising from average transfer processes, and producing pollutant fluxes that can be equivalent to the fluxes accumulated over several months or even years. This particularly concerns particle-reactive contaminants such as trace metals and long lived artificial radionuclides. The final aim of the project is to estimate the vulnerability of a coastal system (the Gulf of Lions, north western Mediterranean sea) to global change over the next 30 years. Indeed several programs dedicated to climate change predict a potential increase in the frequency of extreme events such as floods, floodings, saharian dust episodes, forest fire events and storms, particularly within the studied area.

Quaternary sediments and soils at the Forsmark site (Sweden) would constitute the last barrier for radionuclide migration interposed between a deep repository of high level nuclear wastes (HLNW) and surface ecological systems. The retention capacity of these sediments is evaluated by means of reactive transport simulations. Two different scenarios have been modelled: (1) Inflow of deep fluids carrying radionuclides into shallow aquifers hosted in the carbonate glacial till, and (2) Inflow of deep fluids carrying radionuclides into organic matter-bearing clays. The model results predict that caesium is very efficiently retained in both scenarios for periods longer than 3000 years due to the strong affinity of this ion with the frayed edge sites of the illite layers. Strontium is also retained via cation exchange in illite and, in a lesser extent, via co-precipitation in calcite. The retention efficiency for strontium, however, quickly decreases to 0 after 1000 years. Uranium is retained in both scenarios with retention efficiencies higher than 40% at long term (>3000 years) due to precipitation of amorphous uraninite and adsorption on Fe(III) oxyhydroxides. Radium is only retained in the till aquifer since co-precipitation with barium sulphate does not occur in the clay porewater.

The unusually strong earthquake in Japan on 11 March 2011 and the following extremetsunami caused enormous damage in the buildings of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant(NPP) situated on the Pacific coastline of Japan. The accident led to the release of alarge amount of radioactive material into the environment. According to the measurementsof the Radiological Monitoring and Data Acquisitions Network (RAMDAN) the radioactiveplume reached Hungary on 24 March 2011. The main volatile fission products –131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs radioisotopes – were measurable in aerosoland fallout samples in Hungary. Their activity concentration in air reached the maximumvalue in the last days of March and returned to the background level in the first half ofMay. As a consequence of respiration of contaminated air, a maximum of 1 Bq per capita of131I could be accumulated in the thyroid gland of the Hungarian population during thegiven period. The calculated upper limits of the committed effective dose from inhalationof 131I were 4 nSv and 10 nSv to the Hungarian adults and infants,respectively. These values are a hundred thousand times less than the annual radiationdose from natural sources to the Hungarian population. The radiation dose from radioactivecaesium isotopes originating from Fukushima was even less, around 1 nSv on average, toHungarian residents. No health deterioration can be expected from this radiationburden.

With the ICRP recommendations Publications 103, 109 and 111 (ICRP, 2007; ICRP 2009a,2009b), new concepts and quantities have been introduced into emergency management andrehabilitation. Two of them will possibly influence national procedures, but for sure theywill influence countermeasure simulation approaches: 1. The concept of a “reference level”for emergency and existing controllable exposure situations that represents the level ofdose or risk, above which it is judged to be inappropriate to plan to allow exposures tooccur, and for which therefore protective actions should be planned in advance. 2. Whendeciding on the optimum course of protective actions, all exposure pathways and allrelevant actions have to be taken into account. The major changes for the simulationmodels result from the second recommendation that all exposure pathways must be consideredwhen deciding on protective actions. So far all countermeasure simulations in the earlyphase of an emergency are carried out by considering individual countermeasures such assheltering or evacuation, if some dose limit for the respective action is exceeded. Thisapproach has to be changed and strategies of several countermeasures analysed andsimulated with the ultimate goal not to exceed the reference level over a given timeperiod, typically one year.