Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority IAEA RER/9/136 Regional workshop on Radon in workplaces as an element of a national radon action plan Tallinn, Estonia 23-27 May 2016 Regulation of public exposure due to radon in workplaces AIDA AVETISYAN Head of Radiation Safety Section Tallinn, 23-27 May 2016
Armenia is situated in western part of Asia, occupies the north-eastern part of Armenian plateau between Caucasus and Nearest Asia (the inter-river territory between the middle flows of the rivers Kur and Araks) և 29743 -Area, km 2 State border: North - Georgia, East - Azerbaijan, West and South-West - Turkey, South -Iran The capital: YEREVAN CITY Population 3249.5 - de jure, ths. person as of Jan 1, 2010 109 - population density per km 2, person The average temperature -6.9 C -in January +13.8 C - in June
Administrative -Territorial Division Shirak 2681 km 2, 281.5 ths. person Aragatsotn 2753 km 2, 141.7 ths. person Armavir 1242 km 2, 284.1 ths. person Armenian NPP Lori 3789 km 2, 281.6 ths. person Kotayk 2089 km 2, 280.6 ths. person Yerevan Ararat 2096 km 2, 278.8 ths. person Tavush 2704 km 2, 134.4 ths. person Gegharkunik 5348 km 2, 241.5 ths. person Vayots Dzor 2308 km 2, 55.8 ths. person 10 - MARZES 915 - COMMUNITIES of which: 49 - Urban communities 1 -including Yerevan city (with 12 administrative districts) 866 - Rural communities 227 km 2, 1116.6 ths. person Syunik 4506 km 2, 152.9 ths. person
Contents Public exposure control infrastructure in Armenia Public exposure due to radon in workplaces Challenges due to public exposure control
Public exposure control infrastructure in Armenia
Governmental Authorities ANRA Ministry of Health Ministry of Civil construction Ministry of science and education, including National academy(department of Geology) Local Authorities
Legal Framework RA CONSTITUTION RA LAWS INTERNATIONAL TREATIES Treaties are ratified by the RA National Assembly RA laws are approved by the RA National Assembly RA GOVERNMENTAL DECREES RA Gov. and PM Decrees ADMINISTRATIVE/MINISTERIAL ACTS Approved by ANRA Chairman LOCAL REGULATIONS Developed and approved by Entities
Legal framework Laws; Law on Safe Utilization of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes (01.03.1999) Supplements as of 18.04. 2000 and 25.12.2004 (Atomic Law) Law on Licensing (27.06.2001 with amendments in 2004 and 2008) Law on Population Protection in case of emergency situation (29.12.1998) Code on Administrative Offenses (Code on Sanctions 5.12.1996) Criminal code (30.11.1996) Law on Safe Utilization of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes (01.03.1999) Supplements as of 18.04. 2000 and 25.12.2004 (Atomic Law) the Law settles relations concerned with state regulation of atomic energy utilization field with the purpose to protect personnel, public and environment
Legal framework Governmental Decrees; 1.The main regulations on Radiation Protection and Safety of ionizing radiation sources are: Decree 1219 as of 18 August 2006 on approval of Radiation Safety Norms Decree 1489 as of 18 August 2006 on approval of Radiation Safety Rules This regulations were developed based on IAEA IBSS-115 and reviewed based on GSR Part 3 requirements. 2.Governmental Decree N53 as of Dec 18 2014 on approval of Strategy for environmental radiation monitoring in the RA
Legal framework Decree 1219 as of 18 August 2006 on approval of Radiation Safety Norms establishes: the public exposure dose limits from authorized activities An effective dose of 1 msv in a year; In special circumstances, where such activities are implemented that will result in increase (for instance, decontamination of contaminated settlements) of public exposure dose, a higher value of effective dose in a single year could apply, provided that the average effective dose over 60 consecutive months does not exceed 1 msv per year; An equivalent dose to the lens of the eye of 15 msv in a year; An equivalent dose to the skin of 50 msv in a year. The public effective dose within a lifetime (70 years) should not exceed 70 msv.
Legal framework Cont. The radiation safety norms stated, that: The annual effective dose from natural radiation sources of persons of any specialty and working in any field which is not related to atomic energy personnel shall not exceed 5 msv. If in the course of a year with the effective dose uniform impact of 5 msv, in the event of 2000 working hours, breathing average acceleration 1.2 m3/hour, the uranium and thorium equilibrium in industrial dust, the medium values of radiation factors equal: to effective dose rate of gamma exposure in working place 2,5 µsv/hour in area of respiratory tract the Radon-222 activity is 310 Bq/m 3 ; in area of respiratory tract the Radon-220 activity is 68 Bq/m 3 ;
Legal framework Decree 1489 as of 18 August 2006 on approval of Radiation Safety Rules stated that: The territory for construction of industrial buildings should be selected so as the radon flux density on the ground surface does not exceed 250 mbq / (m 2 x sec): If the radon flux density on the ground surface exceeds 250 mbq / (m 2 x sec), the design of the buildings should provide with the radon protection system that will ensure that the annual average volumetric activity of radon does not exceed 150 Bq/m 3, and the gamma dose equivalent - 0.6 µsv/h. The contents of radioactive isotope in building materials used for construction shall not exceed 740 Bq/kg. The annual average volumetric activity of radon in air of industrial use buildings should not exceed 300 Bq/m 3,and the gamma radiation dose equivalent - 0.6 µsv/h.if the amount of radon and (or) gamma radiation is impossible to reduce, the areas should be reprofiled.
Legal framework With the purpose to make the list of installations, industrial areas or separate workplaces subject to the radiation monitoring conditioned by the natural radiation sources their initial radiation study shall be conducted. If the results of study of objects (like kindergartens, schools), industrial areas or separate workplaces do not reveal that the annual exposure limit exceeds 1 msv exposure from natural radiation sources,then the further radiation monitoring is not required. But in case of sufficient change of industrial technology when the personnel exposure dose increase is possible, the additional study is required.
Legal framework The objects, or industrial areas where it was detected that the personnel annual exposure dose from natural sources exceeds 1 msv, but doesn t exceed 2 msv, the random radiation monitoring of workplace shall be implemented. The objects where the personnel annual exposure dose from natural sources exceeds 2 msv, besides the random radiation control of workplace there shall be implemented the permanent radiation dose control of the personnel and measures intended to minimize the doses shall be undertaken
Legal framework If in the objects where the personnel annual exposure dose from natural sources reaches or exceeds 5 msv, then a person licensed to operate the object shall undertake all possible measures to reduce the doses. If it is impossible to reduce the personnel annual exposure dose from natural sources below 5mSv, then according to the working conditions the object personnel shall be considered as the atomic energy personnel and shall be covered by the requirements of the radiation protection made to the atomic energy personnel.
Legal framework For construction of the residential or commercial building effective specific activity of building materials and products, containing natural radioisotopes to be used shall not exceed 370 Bq/kg: The effective specific activity of natural radioisotopes contained in facing of the inner wall tiles and materials, as well as other ceramic objects of interior decoration of residential or commercial buildings shall not exceed 740Bq/kg.
National Action plan The final draft of National Radon program and related National Action plan have been prepared in frame of EC INSC project AR/RA/05-06.
Content of National action plan All activities in Action plane have been divided in the phases: Phase I - First assessment of the radon risk in country Review of available information Development of methodologies for initial population weighted screening Initial survey Organization of data keeping and mapping Elaboration of information leaflets Preparation and distribution of information on levels of radon indoor / workplaces and the associated health risk
Content of National action plan Phase II -Preparatory phase for RAP Organizational issues Implementation of corrective actions and preventive actions Phase-III: RAP implementation Phase-IV: RAP realization Management of RAP Financing the Action Plan tasks In special table pointing out the responsible persons or organizations and the timeframe for all actions.
Challenges due to public exposure control Improvement of monitoring capacity (equipment, detectors, measurement methodologies etc. ) Training of stuff involved in radon control (including measurement group, public relation and regulation developers) Establishment of intergovernmental working group
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