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Michalik B, Dvorzhak A, Pereira R, Lourenço J, Haanes H, Di Carlo C, Nuccetelli C, Venoso G, Leonardi F, Trevisi R, Trotti F, Ugolini R, Pannecoucke L, Blanchart P, Perez-Sanchez D, Real A, Escribano A, Fevrier L, Kallio A, Skipperud L, Jerome SM, Popic JM. A methodology for the systematic identification of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Sci Total Environ 2023; 881:163324. [PMID: 37028656 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are present worldwide and under certain circumstances (e.g., human activities) may give radiation exposure to workers, local public or occasional visitors and non-human biota (NHB) of the surrounding ecosystems. This may occur during planned or existing exposure situations which, under current radiation protection standards, require identification, management, and regulatory control as for other practices associated with man-made radionuclides that may result in the exposure of people and NHB. However, knowledge gaps exist with respect to the extent of global and European NORM exposure situations and their exposure scenario characteristics, including information on the presence of other physical hazards, such as chemical and biological ones. One of the main reasons for this is the wide variety of industries, practices and situations that may utilise NORM. Additionally, the lack of a comprehensive methodology for identification of NORM exposure situations and the absence of tools to support a systematic characterisation and data collection at identified sites may also lead to a gap in knowledge. Within the EURATOM Horizon 2020 RadoNorm project, a methodology for systematic NORM exposure identification has been developed. The methodology, containing consecutive tiers, comprehensively covers situations where NORM may occur (i.e., minerals and raw materials deposits, industrial activities, industrial products and residues and their applications, waste, legacies), and thus, allows detailed investigation and complete identification of situations where NORM may present a radiation protection concern in a country. Details of the tiered methodology, with practical examples on harmonised data collection using a variety of existing sources of information to establish NORM inventories, are presented in this paper. This methodology is flexible and thus applicable to a diversity of situations. It is intended to be used to make NORM inventory starting from the scratch, however it can be used also to systematise and complete existing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boguslaw Michalik
- Central Mining Institute (GIG), Silesian Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Plac Gwarków 1, 40-166 Katowice, Poland
| | - Alla Dvorzhak
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Ruth Pereira
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua de Agrária 747, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Joana Lourenço
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Hallvard Haanes
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), Grini Næringspark 13, Østerås, Norway
| | - Christian Di Carlo
- National Institute of Health (ISS), National Center for Radiation Protection and Computational Physics, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Nuccetelli
- National Institute of Health (ISS), National Center for Radiation Protection and Computational Physics, Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Venoso
- National Institute of Health (ISS), National Center for Radiation Protection and Computational Physics, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Leonardi
- National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), DiMEILA, Monteporzio Catone Rome, Italy
| | - Rosabianca Trevisi
- National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), DiMEILA, Monteporzio Catone Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio Trotti
- Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), Verona, Italy
| | | | - Lea Pannecoucke
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN/PSE-ENV/SEDRE, 92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pascale Blanchart
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN/PSE-ENV/SEDRE, 92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Danyl Perez-Sanchez
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Almudena Real
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Alicia Escribano
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Laureline Fevrier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN/PSE-ENV/SRTE, 13115 Saint Paul-lez-Durance Cedex, France
| | - Antti Kallio
- Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Lähteentie 2, 96400 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Lindis Skipperud
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Environmental Chemistry Section, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Simon Mark Jerome
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Environmental Chemistry Section, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Jelena Mrdakovic Popic
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), Grini Næringspark 13, Østerås, Norway.
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Cholowsky NL, Chen MJ, Selouani G, Pett SC, Pearson DD, Danforth JM, Fenton S, Rydz E, Diteljan MJ, Peters CE, Goodarzi AA. Consequences of changing Canadian activity patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic include increased residential radon gas exposure for younger people. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5735. [PMID: 37029226 PMCID: PMC10081328 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced widespread behaviour changes that shifted how people split their time between different environments, altering health risks. Here, we report an update of North American activity patterns before and after pandemic onset, and implications to radioactive radon gas exposure, a leading cause of lung cancer. We surveyed 4009 Canadian households home to people of varied age, gender, employment, community, and income. Whilst overall time spent indoors remained unchanged, time in primary residence increased from 66.4 to 77% of life (+ 1062 h/y) after pandemic onset, increasing annual radiation doses from residential radon by 19.2% (0.97 mSv/y). Disproportionately greater changes were experienced by younger people in newer urban or suburban properties with more occupants, and/or those employed in managerial, administrative, or professional roles excluding medicine. Microinfluencer-based public health messaging stimulated health-seeking behaviour amongst highly impacted, younger groups by > 50%. This work supports re-evaluating environmental health risks modified by still-changing activity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha L Cholowsky
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Myra J Chen
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ghozllane Selouani
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sophie C Pett
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Dustin D Pearson
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - John M Danforth
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shelby Fenton
- Department of Oncology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ela Rydz
- Department of Oncology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Cheryl E Peters
- Department of Oncology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, British Columbia Cancer, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Aaron A Goodarzi
- Robson DNA Science Centre, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- Department of Oncology, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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