lithuania republic

Topical Day on Environmental Radiation Monitoring, Oslo, 2011

Lithuanian environmental monitoring programme for radioactive materials

Rima Ladygienė, PhDRadiation Protection Centre

Lithuania


Lithuania Republic

• population – 3,46 million

• licensees – more than 1350

• sources – sealed more than 4500

• practices – all except of irradiation and reprocessing of spent fuel, uranium mining sites, weapon test sites

• regulatory authority – Radiation Protection Centre, State Nuclear Energy Safety Inspectorate


Environmental radiological monitoring - protection of the members of the public and environment

• Estimation of doses due to planned exposure situations (discharges from nuclear installations and hospitals)

• Estimation of doses due to existing exposure situations (global contamination and natural radiation)

• Estimation of exposure due to emergency exposure situations


Main objective of the environmental radiological monitoring - dose assessment to public due to radioactivity in the environment

based on relevant data from

• Environmental radiological monitoring (foodstuffs, air, drinking and surface water, sediments, wild animals meat, raw foodstuffs etc)

• Natural radiation (indoor radon, external radiation outside and due to building materials, cosmic radiation etc.)

• NORM (potassium fertilizers, building materials, stone wool, ceramics, cement factories etc.)• Wood fuel (natural radionuclides and Cs-137)• Discharges of from nuclear installations and hospitals (liquid and gaseous)• Emergency exposure situations (air contamination due to accident in Japan)

using generic dose assessment models (IAEA SRS-19)


Objectives of the national environmental radiological monitoring • Providing information to the public and EU member states (all data are available to

public at sites Radiation protection Centre www.rsc.lt and Environmental Protection Agency www.aaa.am.lt)

• Verification of discharges from nuclear installations and hospitals

• Providing of recommendations for reducing of exposure when it is necessary

• Providing early warning in case of emergency situations

• Maintaining competence for emergency situations


Institutions in Lithuania involved in the environmental radiological monitoring

• Food, drinking water, construction materials, soil, natural radiation, NORM – Radiation Protection Centre (6 persons)

• Air, surface water, sediments, dose rate monitoring – Environmental Protection Agency (6 persons)

• Radionuclides in imported and exported food, feed, wild products, game – National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (3 persons)

• Operator’s monitoring in vicinity of nuclear installations – Ignalina NPP and Radwaste Management Agency

• Scientific institutions involved – Institutes of Physics, Ecology, Botany

• Only national budget is used for routine monitoring• For installation of laboratories – EU funds


EURATOM Treaty - environmental radiological monitoring data available

According European Commission Recommendations of 8 June 2000 on the application of Article of the EURATOM Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in

the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole

Order of organization, implementation of national radiological monitoring and notification of the state and autonomous institutions, European Commission and public (approved by

Minister of Environment and Minister of Health Care on 7 October 2002)

• 137Cs, 90Sr, gross alpha and gross beta are monitored in terrestrial and aquatic food samples (meat, milk, potatoes, cabbages, grain, fish)

• mushrooms are analysed for 137Cs

• Drinking water are monitored for tritium, gross alpha and gross beta

• Data related mainly to global distribution of radioactivity, verification of discharges from regulated practices

• No regular data about radionuclides in soil


EURATOM Treaty - environmental radiological monitoring data available

Cs-137 activity concentration in food

0,01

0,1

1

10

100

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

Bq

/kg

, l

Milk

Meat

Fish

Vegetables

Sr-90 activity concentration in food

0,01

0,1

1

10

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

Bq/

kg, l

Milk

Meat

Fish

Vegetables


EURATOM Treaty - early warning radiation monitoring network

22 stations - 9 PMS of Danish origin, 3 ALNOR of Finish origin, 10 AGIR of Lithuania origin, alarm threshold at 300 nSv/h


EURATOM Treaty - radioactivity in fallout and aerosol sampling

5 stations (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Utena and Dūkštas)

gamma spectrometric and 90Sr measurements in integrated samples (quarterly) are performed

gross beta

aerosol sampling station “JL-900 Snow White” is situated about 60 km from INPP

one ore situated in Vilnius and operated by Institute of Physics

integrating of 5-7 days sample

counting by gamma spectrometry (7Be, 137Cs and 131I)


EURATOM Treaty - radioactivity in surface water and sediments of rivers and lakes, Baltic sea, lagun (HELCOM)

5 lakes, 9 rivers

from major inland waters and from coastal waters

average flow rate (for river waters) during the sampling period should be reported

gamma emitting radionuclides are monitored (gross beta excluding 40K)

13Cs, 90Sr in water and sediments238Pu-238, 239/240Pu in sediments from lakes


Special national projects, related with radioactivity in the environment

• 2007 “Complex radiological investigations of environment of Ignalina NPP (flora and fauna, soil, ground and drinking water, food, air, external radiation) with the aim of determination of impact of exposure on humans and environment in the region of Ignalina NPP” (Radiation Protection Centre, Institute of Geology and Geography, Institute of Physics and Institute of Botany made different investigations with the aim to prepare for evaluation and forecast of impact of the decommissioning of Ignalina NPP)

• 2008 „Complex radiological investigations with the aim to assess and prognosis the impact to humans due to decommissioning process in the Ignalina NPP region” (continuation, assessment doses of exposure, creation of data base)

• Possibility to indicate NPP impact


Natural radiation - monitoring of indoor radon and radon in drinking water

VILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUSVILNIUS

KAUNASKAUNASKAUNASKAUNASKAUNASKAUNASKAUNASKAUNASKAUNAS

KlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėdaKlaipėda

ŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliaiŠiauliai

PanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžysPanevėžys

AlytusAlytusAlytusAlytusAlytusAlytusAlytusAlytusAlytus

AnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiaiAnykščiai

BiržaiBiržaiBiržaiBiržaiBiržaiBiržaiBiržaiBiržaiBiržai

IgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalinaIgnalina

JonavaJonavaJonavaJonavaJonavaJonavaJonavaJonavaJonava

JoniškisJoniškisJoniškisJoniškisJoniškisJoniškisJoniškisJoniškisJoniškis

JurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkasJurbarkas

KaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorysKaišiadorys

KelmėKelmėKelmėKelmėKelmėKelmėKelmėKelmėKelmė

KretingaKretingaKretingaKretingaKretingaKretingaKretingaKretingaKretinga

KupiškisKupiškisKupiškisKupiškisKupiškisKupiškisKupiškisKupiškisKupiškis

KėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiaiKėdainiai

LazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijaiLazdijai

MarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolėMarijampolė

MažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiaiMažeikiai

MolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtaiMolėtai

Naujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji AkmenėNaujoji Akmenė

PakruojisPakruojisPakruojisPakruojisPakruojisPakruojisPakruojisPakruojisPakruojis

PasvalysPasvalysPasvalysPasvalysPasvalysPasvalysPasvalysPasvalysPasvalys

PlungėPlungėPlungėPlungėPlungėPlungėPlungėPlungėPlungė

PrienaiPrienaiPrienaiPrienaiPrienaiPrienaiPrienaiPrienaiPrienai

RadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškisRadviliškis

RaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniaiRaseiniai

RokiškisRokiškisRokiškisRokiškisRokiškisRokiškisRokiškisRokiškisRokiškis

SkuodasSkuodasSkuodasSkuodasSkuodasSkuodasSkuodasSkuodasSkuodas

TauragėTauragėTauragėTauragėTauragėTauragėTauragėTauragėTauragė

TelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiaiTelšiai

TrakaiTrakaiTrakaiTrakaiTrakaiTrakaiTrakaiTrakaiTrakai

UkmergėUkmergėUkmergėUkmergėUkmergėUkmergėUkmergėUkmergėUkmergė

UtenaUtenaUtenaUtenaUtenaUtenaUtenaUtenaUtena

VarėnaVarėnaVarėnaVarėnaVarėnaVarėnaVarėnaVarėnaVarėna

VilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškisVilkaviškis

ZarasaiZarasaiZarasaiZarasaiZarasaiZarasaiZarasaiZarasaiZarasai

ŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiaiŠakiai

ŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkaiŠalčininkai

ŠilalėŠilalėŠilalėŠilalėŠilalėŠilalėŠilalėŠilalėŠilalė

ŠilutėŠilutėŠilutėŠilutėŠilutėŠilutėŠilutėŠilutėŠilutė

ŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintosŠirvintos

ŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionysŠvenčionys

NidaNidaNidaNidaNidaNidaNidaNidaNida

PalangaPalangaPalangaPalangaPalangaPalangaPalangaPalangaPalanga

ElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnaiElektrėnai

KalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarijaKalvarija

Kazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų RūdaKazlų Rūda

DruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkai

VisaginasVisaginasVisaginasVisaginasVisaginasVisaginasVisaginasVisaginasVisaginas

PagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiaiPagėgiai

RietavasRietavasRietavasRietavasRietavasRietavasRietavasRietavasRietavas

• Hygiene Standard HN 85:2003 “Natural Exposure. Standards of Radiation Protection”

• more than 3000 measurements starting year 1995

• average concentration 32 Bq/m3,

• annual dose 0,81 mSv

• average in drinking water 16 Bq/l, maximum –50 Bq/l (limitation – 100 Bq/l)


Natural radiation - ambient external gamma dose monitoring

• 32 different locations at two regions and 4 cities

• 6 month duration of exposition

• measurement by TLD

• annual effective dose 0.59 mSv- 0.96 mSv


Natural radiation - monitoring of radioactivity in NORM industry

Radiological research (dose rate measurements, sampling and radiological investigations) dose assessment was done for industry

• Petroleum refining company• Gas transporting pipelines• Stevedoring company (potassium fertilizers storage and transportation to the ships)• Phosphoric fertilizers manufacturing and waste storage • Drinking water purification• Building materials manufacturing companies (ceramics)• Heating plants, using wood and coal • Cement and stone wool (gaseous 210Po and 210Pb due to usage of high temperatures)• Maintenance of boilers and clinker ovens, decommissioning


Natural radiation - monitoring of radioactivity in wood fuel industry

• Discharges from combustion plant stacks due to 137Cs in wood fuel

• Lithuanian wood and wood fuel products were investigated as well as fuel imported from Ukraine, Russia (Kaliningrad region) and Belarus

• Assessment of the effective dose for members of a critical group: due to the effluents from the combustion power plant stacks due to usage of ash produced in combustion plants


No environmental radiological monitoring programs for discharges from medical installations

• Norms of Radionuclide Discharges from Medical, Industrial, Agriculture Installations and During Scientific Research and on the Permitting of Radioactive Discharges (LAND 41- 2001)

• Dose assessment to the members of critical groups, permissions for discharges, annual reporting

• Hospital using radiopharmaceuticals for treatment installed 2 tanks with capacity 150 m3 each (operator’s monitoring of radioactivity in the tank before discharge to sewage plant)


Quality control systems of 3 main national radiological laboratories

Laboratories

• Radiation Protection Centre

• National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute

are accredited according requirements of ISO 17025

Laboratory of Environmental Protection Agency has sertification

Laboratories of scientific institutes has permissions for monitoring of radioactivity in the environment (quality control systems are created) according Decree of Minister of Environment


Radiological monitoring in emergency situations

Document approved on 06 October 2003 by Order of Minister of Environment and Minister of Health Care

Order of sampling in case of nuclear and radiological accident

prepared on the basis of recommendations of IAEA

• responsible institutions acting in case of emergency approved by Governmental Decree in 2010

• typical sampling protocols and sampling instructions

• field exercises every year for different institutions


Radiation Protection CentreCapabilities in performing analyses of nuclear or radioactive material of unknown origin,

mobile laboratory and team of experts


Transboundary issues – preparedness for monitoring of discharges

• In future plans - 2 neighboring NPP in were close distance to the national Lithuanian boarder (Kaliningrad region and Belorussia), new NPP in Lithuania (2 units)

• Background measurements are going on at sites close to new NPP


Special national projects, related with radiation in the environment and transboundary issues

Radioactivity in soil profile started in 2007 at Radiation Protection Centre

• net 10x10 km, gamma radionuclides,depth-30 cm, 6 sub-samples, 5 cm core

• radon gas in soil

• dose rate measurement


Doses for public in Lithuania, total 2.6 mSv per year

31,46%

3,11% 12,82%

23,69%

3,88%

0,19%

8,54%

16,31%

INDOOR RADON

EXTERNAL GAMMA DOSE

KOSMIC RADIATION

EXTERNAL EXPOSURE DUE TO BUILDING MATERIALS

MEDICAL EXPOSURE

RADIONUCLIDES IN FOOD AND DRINKING WATER

RADON OUTSIDE

POLUTION DUE TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS IN OPEN AIR


National perspectives on the radiation protection of the environment - from the view of radiation protection regulatory side

• All practices are regulated regarding radiation protection issues

• Discharges are limited and regulated due to the doses to members of critical groups

• National public exposure monitoring program for year 2011-2015 is under preparation

• Establishment of National public exposure monitoring data basis is planned in next year

• Upgrading laboratories is going on

All possible sources of public exposure are monitored and dose assesment are performed on routine basis


Thank you for attention – spring in Lithuania

lithuania republic

Documents

external radiation

cosmic radiation

personsoperators monitoring

construction materials

surface water

game national food

dose rate

lithuania republicpopulation