THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BSS: A PROPOSAL TO EVALUATE RADON EXPOSURE AT WORKPLACE J.L. Gutierrez-Villanueva, Karl Nilsson, Tryggve Rönqvist, Bill Rounds Radonova laboratories AB, Uppsala (Sweden) The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

1. RADON GAS: Fundamentals The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

The 2017 International Radon Symposium™ Radon is a natural, radioactive and inert gas International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) states that radon gas is a cause of lung cancer in humans European Code Against Cancer: Find out if you are exposed to radiation from naturally high radon levels in your home. Take action to reduce high radon levels Radon daughters are alpha and betta emitters but . . . also gamma emitters The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

2. Upcoming legislation The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BASIC SAFEY STANDARDS The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BASIC SAFEY STANDARDS This document introduces radon gas into the system of radiological protection for the first time The council of European Union issued the final document in January 2014 It aims to offer better protection for both: public and workplaces Radon reference levels: 300 Bq m−3 Occupational exposure arrangements in workplaces > 6 mSv y−1: Situation to be managed as a planned exposure situation ≤ 6 mSv y−1: Exposures need to be kept under review Establishment of a national radon action plan The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BASIC SAFEY STANDARDS It is appropriate for this Directive to establish reference levels for indoor radon concentrations and for indoor gamma radiation emitted from building materials . . . Recent epidemiological findings from residential studies demonstrate a statistically significant increase of lung cancer risk from prolonged exposure to indoor radon at levels of the order of 100 Bq m-3 . . . National action plans are needed for addressing long-term risks from radon exposure . . . Where, . . . , a Member State establishes a reference level for indoor radon concentrations in workplaces that is higher than 300 Bq m-3, the Member State should submit the information to the Commission . . . The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BASIC SAFEY STANDARDS Article 2: . . . This Directive applies in particular to: . . . the exposure of workers or members of the public to indoor radon, . . . Article 74: Member States shall establish national reference levels for indoor radon concentrations. The reference levels for the annual average activity concentration in air shall not be higher than 300 Bq m−3 Article 103: Member States shall establish a national action plan addressing long-term risks from radon exposures in dwellings, buildings with public access and workplaces for any source of radon ingress . . . The action plan shall take into account the issues set out in Annex XVIII The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

The 2017 International Radon Symposium™ THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BASIC SAFEY STANDARDS: NAP (National Action Plan) The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

The 2017 International Radon Symposium™ THE NEW DIRECTIVE EURATOM BASIC SAFEY STANDARDS: NAP (National Action Plan) List of 14 items to be covered: Estimation of indoor radon concentrations (surveys indoor radon, radon in soil gas) Criteria to identify areas with high radon exposure Reference levels: dwellings and workplaces To assign responsibilities in the administration Strategies to reduce radon exposure: prevention, remedial actions Revisions and updates of the action plan Strategy to communicate radon risk Guidance on methods Financial support The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Protection against radon exposure: European examples Radon measurement at work places is mandatory on those places with potentially elevated radon levels Steps on the implementation of EURATOM BSS: Reference level for dwellings and work places Radon measurements are obliged in work places located in basements and groundfloor rooms in radon areas Radon measurements are obliged in specific work places with potentially elevated radon exposures AUSTRIA Taken from Valeria Gruber’s presentation at AARST 2017 By NuclearVacuum - File:Location European nation states.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8105020 300 Bq m-3 The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

600 Bq m-3 > 6 mSv: High Control Level Protection against radon exposure: European examples INSTRUCTION IS 33 (CSN, Spanish Nuclear Safety Council) This instruction provides radiological criteria to protect people against exposure to natural radiation in workplaces It is a normative standard where corrective or protective measures are necessary It aims at establishing radiological criteria on the next aspects related to the exposure to natural radiation at work places: Values of effective dose to workers that would require remedial action or surveillance systems Concentrations of radon at work places that would require remedial action or inspection systems SPAIN By NuclearVacuum - File:Location European nation states.svg This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  BlankMap-World-v2-2011.svg.This vector image was created with Inkscape., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8097690 > 6 mSv: High Control Level 600 Bq m-3 The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

3. Evaluation of the dose due to radon The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

DOSE DUE TO RADON EXPOSURE 𝐸= 𝐶∙𝐹∙𝑡 3700∙170 ∙𝐷𝐶𝐹 E: Dose in a year C: Rn concentration (Bq m-3) F: Equilibrium factor t: Exposure time (h) DCF: Dose Conversion Factor (mSv WLM-1) The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

ICRP MAIN COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 13-17 SYDNEY The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

ICRP MAIN COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 13-17 SYDNEY The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

DOSE DUE TO RADON EXPOSURE The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

DOSE DUE TO RADON EXPOSURE: different scenarios & different Rn conc The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

DOSE DUE TO RADON EXPOSURE Radon concentrations at work places can turn out in non-negligible doses due to radon exposures Mechanical actions? Not a good idea in some cases (show-caves, security problems in certain work places, …) Limiting working hours? It may be possible or it may not be possible The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

DOSE DUE TO RADON EXPOSURE 𝐸= 𝐶∙𝐹∙𝑡 3700∙170 ∙𝐷𝐶𝐹 DOSE CONVERSION FACTORS: Just numbers Equilibrium factor: measurable quantity EXPOSURE TIME The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

PERSONAL DOSIMETRY & RADON EXPOSURE Personal dosimetry is a proper tool to control radon exposure to workers It is apparently easy to implement: check radon concentrations and exposure time Radon concentrations may be difficult to manage The problem is all about TIME EXPOSURE The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Some examples of misuse exposure time The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Radon concentrations in caves The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Radon concentrations in caves during visiting hours The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Radon concentrations in caves during visiting hours: some numbers The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Radon concentrations in caves during visiting hours: doses old DCF and new proposed DCF The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

4. Conclusions The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

1.- Dealing with exposure time How to request from workers an accurate record of working hours? How to make workers becoming interested on dose due to radon exposure? How trustable are record hours reported by workers? 2.- An assessment of the exposure time as accurate as possible is mandatory 3.- The proposed DCF may have a big impact on the radiological protection system The 2017 International Radon Symposium™

Thank you very much for your patience José - Luis Gutiérrez Villanueva PhD. Specialist radon measurement advisor E-mail: joseluis.gutierrez@radonova.com Phone: +46709368312 The 2017 International Radon Symposium™