Protective Action Guide for Nuclear Incidents
Encyclopedia
Severe Nuclear and radiation accidents
Nuclear and radiation accidents
A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility...
will cause massive radioactive contamination
Radioactive contamination
Radioactive contamination, also called radiological contamination, is radioactive substances on surfaces, or within solids, liquids or gases , where their presence is unintended or undesirable, or the process giving rise to their presence in such places...
and may cause health risks to large populations. Unlike other natural disasters, radioactive contamination is not tangible and hard to measure. Its effect (hazard) will remain for tens of years. Most countries have official guidelines in case of nuclear incidents include evacuation of general public and radiation limits for emergency workers. International Commission on Radiological Protection
International Commission on Radiological Protection
The International Commission on Radiological Protection is an advisory body providing recommendations and guidance on radiation protection; It was founded in 1928 by the International Society of Radiology and was then called the ‘International X-ray and Radium Protection Committee’...
(ICRP) publish guideline for nuclear disaster.
History and Lesson learned
Since the adoptation of nuclear power in the mid 20th century, there have been few major nuclear disasters compared to many severe natural disasters like earthquakes or extreme weather. Much time and money were spent to prevent such accidents, however accidents did occur and will happen again. Society is learning how to improve readiness against a nuclear disaster' as is summarized in the incidents in this section.Chernobyl disaster
- Information concealed, late evacuation
- no proper protective gear for emergency workers
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
- Failed early assessment and non effective evacuation
Failure of early assessment of severity of incidents resulted evacuation zone to be changed several times from 3km radius to 30km radius and finally some area beyond 30 km radius based on fields measurements. Many residents had to relocate from one shelter to another several times. 40 days after the explosion, last area beyond 30 km radius was identified as an evacuation zone. Residents of this area faced difficulty finding relocation shelters due to the massive evacuation of more than 113 thousand people already filled all available shelters. In addition to these radiation evacuees, there were another 125 thousand people sheltered due to earthquake and tsunami destruction.
Action Plan in USA
Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued recovery/evacuation plan for nuclear incidents following ICRP's recommendation.
FEMA "Protective action for RDD and IDD"
On August 1, 2008, Federal Emergency Management Agency of Dept. of Homeland Security had released "Planning Guidance for Protection and Recovery Following Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) incidents" which indicate action guide in case of radiation contamination. This Notice is specified as action guide for Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) involving high levels of radiation.Actions are listed in three phases of "Early", "Intermediate" and "Late". And guidelines are set for general public and emergency workers.
Guides for Public
| Action | Thresholds (projected dose) | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Early Phase | ||
| Sheltering or evacuation | 10 mSv - 50 mSva | Should begin at 10 mSv. Sheltering may begin at lower levels if advantageous. |
| administration of prophylactic durgs | 50 mSv | projected dose to child thyroid. Provides protection from Radioactive iodine only. |
| Intermediate Phase | ||
| Relocation of the public | 20 mSv | 1st year. Subsequent years, 5 mSv/y.a |
| Food interdiction | 5 mSv | or 50 mSv to any individual organ or tissues in the first year, whichever is limiting. |
| Drinking water interdiction | 5 mSv 1st year. | |
| (a) Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE); the sum of external and internal radiation exposure. | ||
Evacuation guide line in case of Nuclear Power Plant Accident per DOE is 10 mRem/hr (no radioiodines) or 2mRem/hr (with radio iodines). they are 0.1 mSv/hr and 0.02 mSv/hr respectively. see next section ""
| Activity | TEDE threshold | condition |
|---|---|---|
| All occupational exposures | <50 mSv | All reasonably achievable actions taken to minimize dose. |
| Protecting valuable property necessary for public welfare (e.g., a power plant) | <100 mSv | All appropriate actions and controls have been implemented; however, exceeding 50 mSv is unavoidable.
|
| Lifesaving or protection of large populations. | <250 mSv | All conditions in lower doses apply.
|
| Life saving emergency | 500 mSv and above | All conditions in lower doses apply.
|
Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, DOE
FRMAC is the part of National Nuclear Security Administration of U.S. Department of Energy.FRMAC issued "Assessment Manual Vol. 2 Pre-assessed default scenarios"(SAND2010-2575P published date February 2010).
The manual include Nuclear power plant accident, nuclear weapon accident, aged fission product accident, uranium fuel accident, radioisotopic thermoelectric generator accident, Nuclear yield accident and radiological dispersal device accident (RDD).
Section 2 describe the case of nuclear power plant accident.
Major protective actions identified are (generally prioritized):
Following actions should be coordinated first with radiation predictions followed by field measurements and sample anslyses
- Expedited evacuation where potential for early health effects exists
- Evacuation of immobile populations (hospitals, prisons, etc.)
- Evacuation of general public
- Sheltering of public and immobile populations
- Identification/treatment of potential early health effect victims
- i.e., identification of unevacuated areas where the population may have the potential for early health effects so that these individuals may be identified and treated, as needed)
- Relocation of unevacuated populace to avoid future risk
- Suspension of agricultural production
- Condemnation of foods
other decisions might include:
- Exposure planning for emergency worker
- Selection of measurements and monitoring locations
- Guidelines for re-entry
- Identification and selection of mitigation options
Default Derived Response Levels (DRLs) for releases from irradiated reactor fuel
| Issue | Exposure rate (DRL) | Sensitivity, Uncertainty, Spatial Density, Assumptions |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Early Phase PAG (evacuation) | 0.1 mSv/hr (no radioiodines) 0.02 mSv/hr (with radioiodines) |
Evacuation or substantial shelter could be implemented in accordance with the EPA PAGs. Predicted TEDE 10 mSv |
| Relocation 1st year | 0.05 mSv/hr | population should be relocated |
| Ingestion PAG | 0.005 micro Sv/hr |
Default Federal Emergency Worker Dose Limits and Turn-Back Guidance
| Activity | | Dose limit in terms of integrated exposure readings (e.g., on a self-reading dosimeter) (mSv) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No KIa taken | KIa taken before an exposure | No inhalation dose possible (post-plume)b |
|
| Administrative limits | |||
| Investigation level | 0.75 | 3 | 15 |
| Administrative level | 1.25 | 5 | 25 |
| Emergency activity | |||
| All | 2.5 | 10 | 50 |
| Protecting major property | 5 | 20 | 100 |
| Life saving or protecting large population | 12.5 | 50 | 250 |
| Life saving or protecting large populationc | >12.5 | >50 | >250 |
remark
|
|||
See also
- Nuclear safety in the United StatesNuclear safety in the United StatesNuclear safety in the U.S. is governed by federal regulations and continues to be studied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission . The safety of nuclear plants and materials controlled by the U.S...
- Radiation and Public Health ProjectRadiation and Public Health ProjectRadiation and Public Health Project is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization founded in 1985 by Jay M. Gould, a statistician and epidemiologist, and Ernest Sternglass...
- Nuclear power plant emergency response teamNuclear power plant emergency response teamA nuclear power plant emergency response team is an incident response team composed of plant personnel and civil authority personnel specifically trained to respond to the occurrence of an accident at a nuclear power plant....
- Nuclear Emergency Support TeamNuclear Emergency Support TeamThe Nuclear Emergency Support Team is a team of scientists, technicians, and engineers operating under the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration...
- Radioactive contaminationRadioactive contaminationRadioactive contamination, also called radiological contamination, is radioactive substances on surfaces, or within solids, liquids or gases , where their presence is unintended or undesirable, or the process giving rise to their presence in such places...
- Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
- Nuclear power accidents by country
- Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiAtomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiDuring the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
- Nevada Test SiteNevada Test SiteThe Nevada National Security Site , previously the Nevada Test Site , is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about northwest of the city of Las Vegas...
- Semipalatinsk Test SiteSemipalatinsk Test SiteThe Semipalatinsk Test Site was the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons. It is located on the steppe in northeast Kazakhstan , south of the valley of the Irtysh River...
- Nuclear and radiation accidentsNuclear and radiation accidentsA nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility...