Airborne Radioactive Contamination in Inhabited Areas

For many decades, investigations of the behaviour and implications of radioactive contamination in the environment have focused on agricultural areas and food production. This was due to the erroneous assumption that the consequences of credible contaminating incidents would be restricted to rural areas. However, due to the Chernobyl accident, more than 250,000 persons were removed from their homes, demonstrating a great need for knowledge and instruments that could be applied to minimise the manifold adverse consequences of contamination in inhabited areas. Also, today the world is facing a number of new threats, including radiological terrorism, which would be likely to take place in a city, where most people would become directly affected. A recent report from the US Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism concludes that it is most likely that a large radiological, or even nuclear, terror attack on a major city somewhere in the world will occur before 2013. For the first time ever, the specific problems of airborne radioactive contamination in inhabited areas are treated in a holistically covering treatise, pinpointing factorial interdependencies and describing instruments for mitigation. The state-of-the-art knowledge is here explained in Airborne Radioactive Contamination in Inhabited Areas y leading scientists in the various disciplines of relevance. Unique holistic description of airborne radioactive contamination of inhabited areas and its consequences State-of-the-art information on problems associated with both accidental and malicious contamination events, in particularly 'dirty bombs' Detailed description of processes and parameters governing the severity of contaminating incidents Written by key experts in the world

Radioactive sources such as nuclear power installations can pose a great threat to both humans and our environment. How do we measure, model and regulate such threats? Environmental Radioactivity and Emergency Preparedness addresses these topical questions and aims to plug the gap in the lack of comprehensive literature in this field. The book explores how to deal with the threats posed by different radiological sources, including those that are lost or hidden, and the issues posed by the use of such sources. It presents measurement methods and approaches to model and quantify the extent of threat, and also presents strategies for emergency preparedness, such as strategies for first-responders and radiological triage in case an accident should happen. Containing the latest recommendations and procedures from bodies such as the IAEA, this book is an essential reference for both students and academicians studying radiation safety, as well as for radiation protection experts in public bodies or in the industry.

Radioactivity in the Environment, Second Edition, presents the facts on the presence of both natural and manmade radionuclides in the environment. Sources of ionizing radiation that can lead to human exposure are discussed, including natural sources, nuclear explosions, nuclear power generation, the use of radiation in medical, industrial and research purposes, and radiation-emitting consumer products. In this thoroughly updated edition, users will find new sections on developments in radioactive nuclides in nature and technologically modified exposure to natural radiation, new threats by terrorist individuals, groups and countries, changes to the status of nuclear power in the world, and more. Additional new sections cover radioisotopes in geo-prospecting and the oil industry, the use of radiation in environmental protection, detector types and detectors used for personal dosimetry, the "Dirty Bomb", the Fukushima accident, and North Korea testing sites and nuclear capabilities. Includes details of analytical laboratory procedures for radioactivity measurement in different samples Features a new chapter on decontamination after radiation exposure Expands the discussion on nuclear fusion to cover ITER and other installations

This book on TENR discusses the basic Physics and Chemistry principles of natural radiation. The current knowledge of the biological effects of natural radiation is summarized. A wide variety of topics, from cosmic radiation to atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic radiation is addressed, including radon, thoron, and depleted uranium. Issues like terrorism and geochronology using natural radiation are also examined. Comprehensive global TENR data assembly Critical assessment of the significant radiological impact of TENR on man and the environment as compared to radiological impact from man-made sources in nuclear technology and nuclear medicine Illustration of the importance of TENR for the future conceptual development of radiation protection

Social and Ethical Aspects of Radiation Risk Management provides a comprehensive treatment of the major ethical and social issues resulting from the use of ionizing radiation. It covers topics such as nuclear fuel cycles, radioactive waste treatment, nuclear bomb testing, nuclear safety management, stakeholder engagement, cleanup after nuclear accidents, ecological risks from radiation, environmental justice, health and safety for radiation workers, radiation dose standards, the ethics of clinical radiology, and the principles of radiation protection and their ethical underpinnings. With authors ranging from philosophers to radiation protection officials and practitioners, the book spans from theoretical to practical implications of this important area of radiation risk assessment and management. Covers all the major social and ethical issues in relation to radiation protection Information is easily accessible and non-technical Authors include leading radiation protection officials as well as specialists who are more independent of the radiation protection system, thus presenting both authoritative and more critical views Includes theoretical perspectives as well as practical experience

Provides up-to-date information on a wide variety of places around the globe. Provides access to place-based web sites.

This publication sets out international guidance, coherent with contemporary radiation protection principles and IAEA safety requirements, on radiation monitoring in relation to the control of radionuclide discharges under practice conditions, and in situations requiring intervention, such as a nuclear or radiological emergencies or past contamination of areas with long lived radionuclides. Three categories of monitoring are discussed: source monitoring, environmental monitoring and monitoring of individual exposure in emergencies.

This up-to-the-minute account examines how radionuclides affect human health. It explores how radionuclides travel through various food chains and how they are transported throughout the terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Remediation of Contaminated Environments summarises - amongst other things - what happened to the people and environment around Chernobyl (and other nuclear sites) and what measures need to be taken in future in the event of nuclear accidents etc. plus it has a very important and currently topical use in detailing what to do in the event of a terrorist dirty bomb attack on a city. Remediation, including characterization of contaminated sites; safety requirements; remediation planning; effectiveness of individual measures in different environments; social, ethical and economic considerations; application of modern decision aiding technologies Applicable to different categories of contaminated environments and contaminants, comprising areas contaminated by radiation accidents and incidents, nuclear weapon tests, natural radionuclides associated with nuclear fuel cycle, fossil material mining and gas and oil production Associated side effects (environmental and social) and human based remediation measures, comprising perception of this activity by the population; with particular regard to stakeholders and population involvement in making decisions on environmental safety and remediation of contaminated sites