EURAMET eNewsletter | Issue 19 | 18 March 2021

A potential new European Metrology Network for Ionising Radiation Protection

Everyone in the world is exposed to environmental radiation - and more than 23 million people around the world are exposed to ionising radiation in the workplace alone. To better protect European citizens, the EU’s radiation protection regulations have become increasingly more sophisticated. They include stricter legal dose assessments, exposure limits and activity concentrations based on new technological developments.

In response to these developments, EURAMET and its members and associates together with stakeholders are investigating the need for a European Metrology Network (EMN) in the area of ‘Ionising Radiation Protection’. A potential EMN in this area would aim to act as a single point of contact to cover the metrological requirements related to radiation protection and provide the infrastructure necessary to enable quality assurance in the area.

A project within the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR), Support for a European Metrology Network on reliable radiation protection regulation (19NET03, supportBSS), is currently underpinning this investigation, and could later pave the way for the establishment and development of the network.

“The preparations for a possible EMN are progressing very well. The partners of 'supportBSS', together with stakeholders in the field of radiation protection, have prepared a proposal to establish the network for consideration at the EURAMET General Assembly in June 2021”, explains Annette Röttger, coordinator of supportBSS. “A European Metrology Network for Ionising Radiation Protection would foster a harmonised, sustainable, coordinated and smartly specialised metrological infrastructure to underpin the needs expressed in the European regulations for radiation protection.”


For a detailed overview on the project and its progress, please visit the project web page >>

 


Metrology for Ionising Radiation Protection

EMPIR project carries out field trial within Chernobyl exclusion zone

Public safety following a nuclear or radiological event, including accidents and terrorist attacks, is of paramount importance to radiation protection authorities. To assess the risks associated with such an event, key governmental decision makers need quick and credible information on affected and contaminated areas; a goal that EMPIR project ‘Preparedness’ is working to achieve.

Recently, the project conducted a series of field trials to test the capability of unmanned aerial vehicles in measuring dose rates and concentrations on the ground.

Read more >>

Image showing close up of a black and yellow radiation warning sign

 

Improving traceability of medical and radiation protection dosimetry in Belgium

Image showing a Clinician operating a linear accelerator

Ionising radiation is widely used in hospitals for both diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy purposes. In our globally ageing population, where exposure to ionising radiation in healthcare settings is on the rise, there is an increasing need for effective radiation protection.

To support this, an EMPIR project is working to improve the monitoring capabilities of individual patient exposures. Last year, the project made important steps towards characterising key dosimetry standards with the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre.

Read more >>

 

EMPIR project runs successful measurement workshop at European Radon Week

Radon is estimated to cause between 3 - 14 % of all lung cancer diseases. As such, there is a need to ensure that radon activity levels are within safe limits, and so a new EU Basic Safety Standards Directive is working to make public exposure to radon a part of legal metrology in Europe.

At EURAMET, an EMPIR project is developing new calibration procedures to support this objective, and in the summer of 2020 – at European Radon Week - the project consortium had the opportunity to demonstrate their concepts and plans for monitoring radon across Europe.

Read more >>

Image of a radon test kit

Joint Research Projects

There are several EURAMET joint research projects under both the EMRP and EMPIR programmes related to ionising radition protection, either on-going or already completed. For more information about individual projects, please see below:


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Disclaimer
Project information and links published in the current issue of the EURAMET newsletter are correct to the best of EURAMET's knowledge and in accordance with the current state of the art. EURAMET cannot be held responsible for the sufficiency or fitness for purpose of any information.The technologies presented in this newsletter may be covered by intellectual property rights.