Tools for harmonized data collection at exposure situations with naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM)

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Radiation Protection
• Nuclear Chemistry

Background:

• Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are a significant source of radiation exposure for workers, the public, and the environment.
• Understanding NORM exposure situations and associated risks is crucial for effective radiation protection strategies.
• The EURATOM Horizon 2020 RadoNorm project aims to address these challenges by collecting comprehensive data on NORM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and make publicly available newly developed tools for collecting qualitative and quantitative data on NORM exposure situations.
• To support the identification of NORM issues, characterization of materials, and assessment of radiation exposure scenarios.
• To facilitate a standardized and unified approach to NORM data management for improved radiation protection.

Main Methods:

• Development of a tiered methodology for identifying NORM exposure situations.
• Creation of a series of NORM registers in Microsoft Excel format for data collection.
• Design of tools to identify NORM issues, overview involved materials, collect data, and characterize exposure scenarios.

Main Results:

• The paper details publicly available tools designed for comprehensive NORM data collection.
• These tools facilitate the identification of radiation protection concerns related to NORM.
• The registers enable standardized characterization of NORM situations, supporting risk and dose assessment.

Conclusions:

• The developed NORM data collection tools provide a standardized framework for managing radiation protection challenges.
• These tools are essential for a unified characterization of NORM situations, aiding regulatory control and risk assessment.
• Public availability of these tools supports global efforts in understanding and managing exposures to natural radiation.