ICRP Publication 111 - Application of the Commission's recommendations to the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a nuclear accident or a radiation emergency.

In this report, the Commission provides guidance for the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas resulting from either a nuclear accident or a radiation emergency. The report considers the effects of such events on the affected population. This includes the pathways of human exposure, the types of exposed populations, and the characteristics of exposures. Although the focus is on radiation protection considerations, the report also recognises the complexity of post-accident situations, which cannot be managed without addressing all the affected domains of daily life, i.e. environmental, health, economic, social, psychological, cultural, ethical, political, etc. The report explains how the 2007 Recommendations apply to this type of existing exposure situation, including consideration of the justification and optimisation of protection strategies, and the introduction and application of a reference level to drive the optimisation process. The report also considers practical aspects of the implementation of protection strategies, both by authorities and the affected population. It emphasises the effectiveness of directly involving the affected population and local professionals in the management of the situation, and the responsibility of authorities at both national and local levels to create the conditions and provide the means favouring the involvement and empowerment of the population. The role of radiation monitoring, health surveillance, and the management of contaminated foodstuffs and other commodities is described in this perspective. The Annex summarises past experience of longterm contaminated areas resulting from radiation emergencies and nuclear accidents, including radiological criteria followed in carrying out remediation measures.

A contribution to optimizing radiological protection in a U mine.

This article presents an optimization study for radiological protection in a U mine. The mathematical model of the alpha contamination associated with short-lived Rn daughters allows the comparison of various protection strategies through a cost-effectiveness analysis. Determining the optimal protection strategy is carried out by choosing a value for the mansievert. This procedure may be of use as a decision-aiding tool within the framework of radiological protection.

[Prevention of occupational carcinogens: perspectives opened by the evaluation of risks and preventive actions]. / La prévention des cancérogènes professionnels: les perspectives ouvertes par l'évaluation des risques et des actions de prévention.

The first part of the review deals with the present situation in terms of prevention against potential carcinogenic substances in France. A significant effort should be devoted to the measurement of contaminants--not only carcinogenic substances--in the workplace. This is a prerequisite for setting a data base in terms of potential occupational risk. Moreover gaps exist also as far as the definition of the technical means aimed at the reduction of risk is concerned. These conclusions put into light the importance of the contribution that "industrial hygienists" would bring in France. In the second part of the review, the methodological content of the risk assessment and risk management procedures is described and illustrated. Risk assessment of carcinogens deals: with the identification of potential carcinogens through epidemiology, animal bio-assays and short term tests; with the quantitative estimation of the magnitude of the potential carcinogenic risk among the exposed workers. It appears necessary to carry out systematic surveys of the number of workers exposed to the carcinogenic substances. The risk assessment procedure is applied to 5 substances BCME, MOCA, Acrylonitrile, Chromium, Nickel and some compounds of these metals. The number of potential excess cancers related to a unit lifelong exposure to Nickel compounds is estimated. This requires exposure-response models which are critically analysed. Risk management is devoted to the choice of primary health care policies. The methodology of risk management consists of: identifying various control policies; quantitative estimation of their efficiency--indicators of the efficiency are discussed--and of their cost; choice among these policies with the help of a cost-effectiveness analysis when necessary. The procedure is illustrated in the case of Acrylonitrile control in a facility.

[Methodologic contribution to determining maximum occupational exposure levels for asbestos. Exposure-risk relation and economic criteria]. / Contribution méthodologique à la détermination de valeurs limites d'exposition professionnelle à l'amiante. Relation exposition-risque et critères économiques.

It is not easy to set exposure limits for industrial carcinogens when only biological and epidemiological criteria are used. Hence, criteria should also include relevant social and economical considerations. This paper, using asbestos exposure as an example, explains how the economic aspects of prevention may be taken into account. The methodology includes three stages: use of the exposure-risk models in order to estimate the residual health effects associated with asbestos, according to various exposure limits, evaluation of costs of preventive measures required by these exposure limits, discussion of the exposure limits--a synthesis of the two preceding stages.