IMMUNOLOGICAL MONITORING OF THE PERSONNEL AT RADIATION HAZARDOUS FACILITIES.

The study of possible mechanisms resulting in changes in the immune system after exposure to ionizing radiation is an area that has not been thoroughly evaluated during recent years. This article presents an overview of immunological monitoring studies of personnel from the radiation-hazardous factories that took place over the past 20 years in Russia. The methodology of these studies is based on: (1) the preclinical evaluation of immune status of workers whose occupation involves potential exposure to ionizing radiation; (2) selecting at risk groups according to the nature of immune deficiency manifestation; and (3) studying the changes of immune status of employees with regard to the potential effects of radiation exposure.

[Polonium-210 acute and chronic pathomorphology and pathogenesis].

In the present review, the data on the pathology of acute and chronic polonium injuries available from the an open-access domestic and foreign literature are primarily systemized and analyzed. The historical background of the research is presented in brief. On the basis of clinical and experimental generalizations, the current concept regarding the pathogenesis of polonium intoxication has been developed.

Radio-ecological characterization and radiological assessment in support of regulatory supervision of legacy sites in northwest Russia.

The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority has been implementing a regulatory cooperation program in the Russian Federation for over 10 years, as part of the Norwegian government's Plan of Action for enhancing nuclear and radiation safety in northwest Russia. The overall long-term objective has been the enhancement of safety culture and includes a special focus on regulatory supervision of nuclear legacy sites. The initial project outputs included appropriate regulatory threat assessments, to determine the hazardous situations and activities which are most in need of enhanced regulatory supervision.