Regulatory implementation of the occupational equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye and underlying relevant efforts in Japan.

In April 2011, the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommended reducing the occupational equivalent dose limit for the lens. Such a new occupational lens dose limit has thus far been implemented in many countries, and there are extensive discussions toward its regulatory implementation in other countries. In Japan, discussions in the Japan Health Physics Society (JHPS) began in April 2013 and in Radiation Council in July 2017, and the new occupational lens dose limit was implemented into regulation in April 2021. To share our experience, we have published a series of papers summarizing situations in Japan: the first paper based on information available by early 2017, and the second paper by early 2019. This paper (our third paper of this series) aims to review updated information available by mid-2022, such as regarding regulatory implementation of the new occupational lens dose limit, recent discussions by relevant ministries based on the opinion from the council, establishment process of safety and health management systems, the JHPS guidelines on lens dose monitoring and radiation safety, voluntary countermeasures of the licensees, development of lens dose calibration method, and recent studies on exposure of the lens in nuclear workers and biological effect on the lens.

Radiation exposure to the lens of the eye for Japanese nuclear power plant workers.

In Japan, the radiation-dose limit for the lens of the eye was revised in April 2021. Consequently, for workers, the numerical values of the equivalent dose to the lens of the eye are equal to those of the effective dose. Radiation workers, radiation safety officers and licensees must comply with regulations related to radiation protection and optimize protection. The new guidelines on dose monitoring of the lens of the eye developed by the Japan Health Physics Society recommend for the dose to be estimated near the eye for accurate estimation, when the dose to the lens approaches or exceeds the management criteria. However, there is limited information regarding the non-uniform exposure of nuclear power plant workers. In this study, the dose equivalents of high-dose-rate workplaces and the personal doses of 88 workers were estimated at four Japanese commercial nuclear power plant sites (RWR: 3 units and BWR: 3 units) and the dose to the lens of the eye and the exposure situations of the workers were analyzed.

CONVERSION FACTOR FROM DOSEMETER READING TO AIR KERMA FOR NUCLEAR WORKER USING ANTHROPOMORPHIC PHANTOM FOR FURTHER CONVERSION FROM AIR KERMA TO ORGAN-ABSORBED DOSE.

Estimation of cancer risk based on the organ-absorbed dose is underway for the Japanese Epidemiological Study on Low-Dose Radiation Effects (J-EPISODE). The reconstruction method for the organ-absorbed dose follows the approach adopted in the IARC 15-Country Collaborative Study, which examined the dosemeter response to photon exposure for the old film badge (FB) type, a multi-element FB and a thermoluminescence dosemeter. Until 2000, the dosemeters used in Japan were almost the same in the IARC study, so IARC study data could be used as they were. However, since 2000, the type of dosemeter has been replaced with active personal dosemeters (hereafter called electronic personal dosemeters), radio-photoluminescent glass dosemeters (Glass badge) and optically stimulated luminescence dosemeters (Luminess badge). Hence, it was necessary to collect these data again. A dosemeter response experiment was conducted using a device that irradiated an anthropomorphic phantom in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency calibration laboratories. The aim of the paper is to provide a conversion factor from reading in terms of Hp(10) to air kerma for realistic conditions for further conversion from air kerma to organ-absorbed dose. The obtained dosemeter responses for the dosemeter types currently used in Japan were consistent with those in the IARC study. These data will be utilized for J-EPISODE in reconstructing the organ-absorbed dose.

Recent discussions toward regulatory implementation of the new occupational equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye and related studies in Japan.

Purpose: In 2011, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended an equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye of 20 mSv/year, averaged over defined periods of 5 years, with no single year exceeding 50 mSv for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations. Since then, there have been extensive discussions toward regulatory implementation of such a new occupational lens dose limit. This paper provides an overview of the recent discussions toward regulatory implementation and the current status of the studies related to radiation exposure of the lens and its effect in Japan. Conclusions: In Japan, the Radiation Council established a Subcommittee in July 2017 to discuss the feasibility of implementing the new occupational lens dose limit. In March 2018, the Radiation Council requested all relevant government ministries and agencies to take necessary actions toward implementation of the new occupational lens dose limit, considering a series of discussions made by the Subcommittee. According to the currently available information, the new occupational lens dose limit (20 mSv/year, averaged over defined periods of 5 years, with no single year exceeding 50 mSv) will be implemented into regulations in Japan, most likely in April 2021, albeit subject to change. In particular, there were extensive discussions about reduction of a dose limit and radiation control for workers who may exceed 20 mSv per year, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning workers and medical staff, and measurement of 3 mm dose equivalent. In order to underpin regulatory practice, epidemiological and biological studies on radiation effects on the lens and studies on lens dose measurements have been conducted in Japan, some of which have been funded by the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Current situations and discussions in Japan in relation to the new occupational equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye.

Since the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommended reducing the occupational equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye in 2011, there have been extensive discussions in various countries. This paper reviews the current situation in radiation protection of the ocular lens and the discussions on the potential impact of the new lens dose limit in Japan. Topics include historical changes to the lens dose limit, the current situation with occupational lens exposures (e.g., in medical workers, nuclear workers, and Fukushima nuclear power plant workers) and measurements, and the current status of biological studies and epidemiological studies on radiation cataracts. Our focus is on the situation in Japan, but we believe such information sharing will be useful in many other countries.

Verification analysis of thermoluminescent albedo neutron dosimetry at MOX fuel facilities.

Radiation workers engaging in the fabrication of MOX fuels at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency-Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories are exposed to neutrons. Accordingly, thermoluminescent albedo dosemeters (TLADs) are used for individual neutron dosimetry. Because dose estimation using TLADs is susceptible to variation of the neutron energy spectrum, the authors have provided TLADs incorporating solid-state nuclear tracks detectors (SSNTDs) to selected workers who are routinely exposed to neutrons and have continued analysis of the relationship between the SSNTD and the TLAD (T/R(f)) over the past 6 y from 2004 to 2009. Consequently, the T/R(f) value in each year was less than the data during 1991-1993, although the neutron spectra had not changed since then. This decrease of the T/R(f) implies that the ratio of operation time nearby gloveboxes and the total work time has decreased.