New IAEA Publication on Protecting People and Environment from Radiation

The IAEA has released a new safety guide to help countries design and run radiation monitoring programmes to ensure people and environment are protected from harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Radiation monitoring is essential to verify that radiation levels are within national radiation limits and it also helps to inform decision makers evaluate how to strengthen national radiation protection approaches.

"The new guide gives a clear, practical framework for improving radiation protection and building public confidence," said Joanne Brown, Head of the Assessment and Management of Environmental Releases Unit at the IAEA. "It reflects the collective experience of many experts in the field and relevant organizations over the past two decades."

Planning and Implementing Monitoring Programmes

The new publication, Monitoring for Protection of the Public and the Environment,supports countries in applying the IAEA safety standards to a wide range of facilities and activities involving radiation sources based on the latest research, international experience and contemporary methods.

The guide helps users understand how to plan and carry out radiation monitoring programmes that match the level of risk. It covers different situations, such as regular releases from approved facilities, emergencies, and areas with past contamination or natural radiation. A step-by-step approach helps ensure that time and resources are used according to the potential risk.

The guide also clarifies the responsibilities of different organization - including regulators, operators, or technical support organizations - in establishing and maintaining monitoring programmes.

Monitoring for Protection and Decision Making

Three main types of monitoring are covered in the guide: source monitoring - measuring the amount of radioactive material released from a facility or the radiation levels coming directly from a radiation source; environmental monitoring - measuring radiation in the surrounding atmosphere and radionuclide concentrations in air, water, soil or food; and individual monitoring - measuring the radiation dose received by a specific person, using personal monitoring devices or medical assessments, particularly in emergency or special exposure situations.

The guide provides methods for interpreting measured data, estimating exposure doses, managing information and communicating results transparently to decision makers and the public.

"This guidance will help countries strengthen their monitoring systems, improve data quality, and make informed decisions about radiation safety," said Analia Canoba, Head of Scientific and Technical Support at the Argentine Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

IAEA Safety Standards

The new publication supersedesthe previous guide published in 2005 and incorporates updated recommendations aligned with the new system of radiation protection established in the International Basic Safety Standards.

It complements other IAEA Safety Standards, including Regulatory Control of Radioactive Discharges to the Environment and Prospective Radiological Environmental Impact Assessment for Facilities and Activities. Together, these standards help countries strengthen their national frameworks for protecting the public and the environment from radiation.