Radiation protection infrastructure-challenges in developing countries.

A special session was held in the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA15) Congress to address the particular challenges facing developing countries regarding radiation protection infrastructure. The objective was to identify and share the key challenges facing developing countries regarding the ability to introduce and establish effective radiation protection programmes. The experiences of key international organisations (International Atomic Energy Agency, Pan American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation) that have support programmes were discussed, along with a perspective from several countries with developing programmes.

EURADOS IC2012N: FURTHER INFORMATION DERIVED FROM AN EURADOS INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON OF NEUTRON PERSONAL DOSEMETERS.

In 2012, the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) performed an intercomparison for neutron dosemeters that are intended to measure personal dose equivalent, Hp(10). A total of 31 participants registered with 34 dosimetry systems. The irradiation tests were chosen to provide the participants with useful information on their dosimetry systems, i.

IAEA INTERCOMPARISON EXERCISES OF THYROID MEASUREMENT: PERFORMANCE OF LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN LABORATORIES.

(131)I is widely used in Latin America and Caribbean Region in the field of nuclear medicine and has been recognised as one of the main sources of potential intake of radionuclides by the staff. The In Vivo Monitoring laboratory of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD-CNEN-Brazil) organised three intercomparison exercises (2005, 2009 and 2013) in the scope of IAEA technical cooperation projects RLA9049 and RLA9066 aimed to disseminate and harmonise the technique for measuring (131)I in the human thyroid. The number of participants in Latin America increased from 9 to 20 institutions from 7 and 13 countries, respectively, over the last 10 y.

SECOND LATIN AMERICAN INTERCOMPARISON ON INTERNAL DOSE ASSESSMENT.

Internal dosimetry intercomparisons are essential for the verification of applied models and the consistency of results'. To that aim, the First Regional Intercomparison was organised in 2005, and that results led to the Second Regional Intercomparison Exercise in 2013, which was organised in the frame of the RLA 9/066 and coordinated by Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear of Argentina. Four simulated cases covering intakes of (131)I, (137)Cs and Tritium were proposed.

A SOLUTION FOR NEUTRON PERSONAL DOSIMETRY IN THE ABSENCE OF WORKPLACE SPECTROMETRY.

In view of the widely varying energy spectra encountered in practical situations, accuracy of neutron dose assessment requires detailed knowledge of detector responses and workplace conditions to achieve an adequate level of protection. If the neutron spectrum should be a priori unknown and no measurement of the workplace spectrum is available, the 'Compendium of Neutron Spectra and Detector Responses for Radiation Protection Purposes' published in the International Atomic Energy Agency Technical Report Series offers a broad range of reference spectra that may be appropriate for many applications. The proposed approach applies a correction factor based on the ratio of 'personal dose equivalent indices' for a particular workplace spectrum and a reference field used for calibration of the dosemeter response.