European Commission approach with regard to radon

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1 European Commission approach with regard to radon Åsa Wiklund National Expert in DG TREN/H.4 Radiation Protection EUROPEAN COMMISSION 1

2 Radon at the European Commission DG TREN DG RTD DG SANCO Joint Research Center / ISPRA EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2

3 Overview Existing EC guidance and legislation for: Radon in dwellings Radon at workplaces Radon in drinking water Radon in building materials Present situation in Member States Revision of the EU BSS (96/29/Euratom) Radon atlas project EUROPEAN COMMISSION 3

4 Radon in dwellings Commission Recommendation from 1990 on indoor exposure to radon (90/143/Euratom) Council Directive from 1996 on Basic Safety Standards (96/29/Euratom): radon in dwellings is not included in the scope of the BSS EUROPEAN COMMISSION 4

5 EC Recommendation (90/143/Euratom) Establish a system for reducing any exposure to indoor radon concentrations. Apply principles of optimisation. Decisions should be made on annuallyaveraged measurements Develop criteria for identifying regions, sites and building characteristics likely to cause high indoor radon levels EUROPEAN COMMISSION 5

6 EC Recommendation (90/143/Euratom) Reference level for existing buildings Annual average radon gas concentration of 400 Bq/m 3 Construction design level for new buildings Annual average radon gas concentration of 200 Bq/m 3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION 6

7 Radon at workplaces Council Directive from 1996 on Basic Safety Standards (96/29/Euratom), Title VII Addresses work activities which may lead to significant increases in exposure of workers or of members of the public due to natural radiation sources MS shall identify work activities of concern, in particular those with exposures to thoron or radon progenies For such activities MS shall require the setting-up of means for monitoring and as necessary apply other relevant parts of BSS EUROPEAN COMMISSION 7

8 EC RP 88 (1997): Recommendations for implementation of Title VII A system is required which concentrates on highest exposure and where actions are most likely to be effective. Surveys of radon exposure in different types of workplaces Action levels for radon: Bq/m 3 When radon concentrations remain above the Action level the principles of BSS should apply (controlled areas, monitoring and dose limits) Information and advice to employers on remedial actions EUROPEAN COMMISSION 8

9 EC RP 95 (1999): Reference levels for workplaces with naturally occuring radionuclides Offers a technique for screening and categorising relevant NORM industries based on dose criteria Introduces a graded approach Converts doses to activity concentrations using different pathways and exposure situations Inhalation of radon is one exposure pathway EUROPEAN COMMISSION 9

10 Radon in drinking water Council Directive on the quality of water for human consumption (98/83/EC): radon and its decay products are excluded EC Recommendation on radon in drinking water (2001/928/Euratom) EUROPEAN COMMISSION 10

11 EC Recommendation on drinking water (2001/928/Euratom) Natural mineral waters (Dir 80/777/EC) and waters as medical products (Dir 65/65/EC) are excluded from the Recommendation Representative surveys should be undertaken to determine exposures by radon in domestic drinking water supplies Reference to BSS Title VII for protection of workers in establishments where radon may be released from water to indoor air (waterworks, spas, swimming pools, etc). EUROPEAN COMMISSION 11

12 EC Recommendation on drinking water (2001/928/Euratom) Public or commercial drinking water supplies: Reference level for radon: 100 Bq/l Reference level for Po-210: 0.1 Bq/l Reference level for Pb-210: 0.2 Bq/l Above 1000 Bq/l for radon, remedial action is always justified. Individual water supplies: Reference level for radon: 1000 Bq/l EUROPEAN COMMISSION 12

13 Radon in building materials Council Directive on construction products (89/196/EEC): no specific guidance on radon but states that construction works must be designed and built in such a way that the emission of dangerous radiation will not be a health threat to the occupants or neighbours. EU BSS Title VII EC RP 112 (1999) Radiological protection principles concerning the natural radioactivity of building materials EC RP 96 (1997) Enhanced radioactivity of building materials background report to RP 112 EUROPEAN COMMISSION 13

14 Radon in building materials RP 96 and 112 focus on external radiation RP 112: When gamma doses are limited to levels below 1mSv/y, the 226 Ra concentrations in the materials are limited, in practice, to levels which are unlikely to cause indoor radon concentrations exceeding (200 Bq/m 3 ). EUROPEAN COMMISSION 14

15 Situation in Member States ERRICCA 1 project / Study on radon legislation and national guidelines (G.Åkerblom, SSI Report 99:18) RP 96 presented a survey of MS regulation regarding natural radioactivity in building materials EUROPEAN COMMISSION 15

16 Situation in Member States Radon Questionnaire from WP Natural Sources Response from all EU Member States Questions on radon policy, reference levels, criteria for radon-prone areas, requirements for surveys and measurements, building codes and financial support Outcome ready to art 31 GoE meeting in June 2008 EUROPEAN COMMISSION 16

17 Revision of EU BSS / Radon More binding requirements on natural radiation sources Allow for ICRP/IAEA Article 31 Working Parties WP Natural Sources (NORM / Radon) EUROPEAN COMMISSION 17

18 Proposal from WP Natural Sources Require MS to establish an action plan for managing long term risks from radon: Long term goals of reducing lung cancer Assign responsabilities, allocate resources for measurements and remedial actions Criteria for delimitation of radon prone areas Criteria for identification of buildings of concern Criteria for accreditation of measurement and remediation services EUROPEAN COMMISSION 18

19 Proposal from WP Natural Sources Action plan (continued): Strategy for conducting surveys of indoor radon concentrations Types of workplaces where measurements are needed Methods and tools for remedial action The basis for defining reference levels Schedules for audits/reviews of action plan Strategy for increasing public awareness and informing decision makers of the risk of radon and its synergism with smoking EUROPEAN COMMISSION 19

20 Proposal from WP Natural Sources Require national reference levels not exceeding: 200 Bq/m 3 for new building 400 Bq/m 3 for existing dwellings 400 Bq/m 3 for public buildings with a high occupancy by the public 1000 Bq/m 3 for existing workplaces and other public buildings EUROPEAN COMMISSION 20

21 Proposal from WP Natural Sources Establishment of building codes Application of optimisation principle If workplaces exceed reference levels, the exposure should be regarded as planned exposure situation EUROPEAN COMMISSION 21

22 European radon map(s) in the frame of a European Atlas of Natural Radiations REM (Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring) action Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) Joint Research Centre - European Commission EUROPEAN COMMISSION 22

A European Atlas of Natural Radiation? Main challenge is to map radon concentrations (main contributor to doses) Radon is the first investigated variable. December 2005 EUR 21892 EN, EC.

23 A European Atlas of Natural Radiation? Main challenge is to map radon concentrations (main contributor to doses) Radon is the first investigated variable. December 2005 EUR EN, EC. An overview of radon surveys in Europe. 168 pp. G. Dubois Exploring radon surveys in Europe ( ) 1) Scientific literature was checked to ask the "right" questions) 2) A questionnaire was set up and distributed 3) Replies were compiled into an EU report EUROPEAN COMMISSION 23

24 Towards European indoor radon maps: timeline December-January 2007: Letter from DG TREN to Members of the Group of Experts (Art. 35 & 36) to invite all EU MS to participate to the project April - August 2007: Distribution of most reference grids to EU MS Autumn 2007: Start of collection of the first national indoor radon maps, identify problems and issues Winter 2007: Draft proposal for the contents of a European atlas of natural radiation (other variables, e.g. maps based on radiometric data) Spring 2008: Start harmonization study of collected Rn grid, first compilation of national radon grids on a European grid August 2008: International Geological Congress in Oslo (Symposium and Workshop about radon risk mapping co-organized by REM): main objective is to find means to generate a geogenic radon map of EUROPE EUROPEAN COMMISSION 24

EC - RADON Latest strategies and draft regulations

EC - RADON Latest strategies and draft regulations European Commission Radiation Protection Participation in EARST WORKSHOP 2013, International and National RADON Regulations & Strategies EC-DG-ENER-D3