STRATEGY OF DEVELOPMENT OF RADON PLAN IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

STRATEGY OF DEVELOPMENT OF RADON PLAN IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

SERGHEI VIRLAN – Ph.D. student of the National Center for Public Health Regional Training Workshop on Developing and Implementing National Programmes for Control of Public Exposure to Radon, Sofia, Bulgaria, 13 – 17 October 2014

RAP – 1st phase – First assessment of the radon risk in the country

Government / Authorities / Legislation Radon and other relevant data Communication / Awareness Building sector - Research / Studies Competent authorities in Republic of Moldova that perform the problems related to population exposure to radon risk:

• The Government
• The Ministry of Health
• National Agency for Regulation
• f Nuclear and Radiological

Activities

• National

Center for Public Health The legislation:

• The law on the safe deployment
• f nuclear

and radiological activities no.132, June 8, 2012

• The law on State Supervision of

Public Health no. 10-XVI of 03.02.2009

• The Constitution of the Republic
• f Moldova

In the Republic of Moldova, radon is a major public health threat as well as

• worldwide. Population exposure to this

risk increases if the population is poorly informed and if there are not complex data (mapping of the country). In this moment, measurements are made in

• rder to determine the concentration of

radon in different housing types to confirm

• r infirm the actuality problem of public
• health. Until 2006 there were attempts to

measure radon concentration in

• ccupational and indoor environmental

factors, but there are insufficient data to draw a conclusion. At the place of measurements we inform population about the actuality of the problem, purpose

• f

the measurements and give some advices for reducing the risk if it is increased. Unfortunately, in the present, in the construction sector there is not a permanent monitoring

• f

radon concentrations at different stages: choosing the land for building houses and finalizing buildings. The Government should involve through regulatory bodies to create favorable conditions for monitoring. Regulatory bodies that should approve and publish long-term measurements protocol there are:

• The Government of the Republic
• f Moldova
• The

National Agency for Regulation

• f

Nuclear and Radiological Activities

• The Ministry of Health

Since 2011 I started the activity of measuring radon concentration in various environmental factors such as exhalations from the soil, the well water and indoor air at the National Center for Public Health, The Scientific Laboratory of Hygiene

• Radiation. We want to develop a plan for

making long-term measurements in order to determine exactly the situation in the

• country. We plan taking measurements of

indoor air in all country (including kindergartens and schools). The measurement protocol must include: the date, place, address, time

• f

measurement and general informations about the building and used finish materials.

The samples of air collected from the underground wine storages, underground galleries and extracting minerals mines have detected high levels of radon concentration (200 ... 1800 Bq / m 3), which overcome the maximum allowable

• terms. This fact requires the need of dynamic monitoring and further maps

elaboration of Rn222 concentrations in our country. A long –term study for radon concentrations monitoring, inclusive lands for buildings is necessary to elaborate, according to national and international normative recommendations. It is very important to mention that uranium mines should be a permanent concern of labor

• protection. An urgent elaboration of specific radioprotection standards for these

employments is necessary and supervision of professionally exposed. If the level of radon concentration is dangerous for public health, the government is obliged "to ensure the suitable action plan that includes coordinated actions to reduce radon ingress in existing buildings and that that will be built in the future."

In a normal way, such a plan is implemented by the national authority and should include the following components:

• 1. Establishing of a reference level (the allowable limit) appropriate for homes and
• ther buildings with a large number of people;
• 2. Establishing of a reference level for workplaces such as offices and factories;
• 3. Identifying of areas susceptible to high levels of radon;
• 4. Giving priority to reducing of radon concentrations in specific cases where such

an action is efficient;

• 5. Including in construction projects the measures for reducing the radon exposure

in order to prevent the radon entrance indoor;

• 6. Implementation of control measures and prevention of radon exposure,

including the determination of circumstances in which these measures will be mandatory or voluntary, and

• 7. Assessment of the success of the plan.

Define the three main obstacles:

• 1. The lack of a database relating to concentration of radon in homes, If it is the

government will have the possibility to intervene.

• 2. Equipping

at national level with enough performance switchgear and controlgear (alpha traces detectors - the passive method).

• 3. Lack of well trained staff in the radon problem.

The possible ways to solve these barriers:

• 1. Making measurements of radon concentration in indoor air in order to create a

database on the types of building. Cooperation of all responsible regulatory bodies for higher efficiency of expected result.

• 2. Identifying of financial resources needed to the purchase of specialized

laboratories’ equipment.

• 3. The recruitment of staff, motivation and continuous training at specialized

courses in the radon problem.

The equipment we work with at present in the Republic of Moldova

Thank you for your attention