Publications

The purpose of this document is to describe the considerations necessary for hospitals and national regulatory authorities in the Nordic countries, in order to establish and evaluate the criteria for release of patients after radionuclide therapy.

Dose constraints were introduced into the ICRP radiation protection system as a tool to optimise radiation protection. Dose constraints have been adopted in international radiation protection standards as well as the European Radiation Protection Directive necessitating implementation into national legislation in EU countries.

This report concerns a pilot project (IVAR, 2018-2022) and a planned upcoming project (NO-SHANE, 2025-2027) of dosimetry auditing of external beam radiation therapy at Norwegian public hospitals.

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted pressing concerns regarding radiological protection and the need to enhance both operational and regulatory resilience during times of armed conflict. While the core principles of radiological protection remain sound, it is crucial for all nations to strengthen their plans and procedures to better manage emerging threats and increased uncertainty.

In response to these complex challenges, the NEA Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) co-hosted a workshop in Oslo from 22 to 24 November 2023. The workshop, titled “Radiological Protection During Armed Conflict”, gathered 130 experts from 28 countries, NGOs, and international organisations to share insights and explore strategies for enhancing the resilience of radiological protection (RP) in such volatile circumstances.

This report summarises the discussions and presentations, analysing the findings and proposals aimed at strengthening the international framework governing radiological protection during armed conflict.

A 2019 Norwegian research cruise to the sunken nuclear submarine Komsomolets has confirmed that radioactive releases from the reactor are still occurring. These releases have had little impact on the surrounding marine environment. The research cruise detected specific uranium and plutonium isotopes which suggest that the nuclear fuel assemblies have been damaged and that the nuclear fuel is in direct contact with seawater and deteriorating. Further work should be carried out to understand any corrosion processes and their implications.