World Health Organization Publication : Year 1970 ; Issue 9241560061: Public Health Implications of Radioactive Waste Releases

By C. P. Straub

Book Id: WPLBN0000143253
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 2.8 MB
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	World Health Organization Publication : Year 1970 ; Issue 9241560061: Public Health Implications of Radioactive Waste Releases
Author:	C. P. Straub
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Health., Public health, Wellness programs
Collections:	Medical Library Collection, World Health Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	World Health Organization


Citation APA MLA Chicago Straub, C. P. (n.d.). World Health Organization Publication : Year 1970 ; Issue 9241560061. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.us/

Description
Medical Reference Publication

Excerpt
1. INTRODUCTION Role of public health agencies One of the major technological developments of the last few decades has been the splitting of the atom. The benefits of nuclear energy to mankind are many, and range from the medical use of radioactive materials in diagnosis and therapy to controlled fission as a source of power. This widespread use of radioactive materials results in the production of a broad spectrum of waste products, which must be managed carefully. These wastes contain radioactive materials that are in a state of nuclear instability and emit ionizing radiations. This dissipated ionizing radiation may damage or destroy human or other biological tissue with which it comes into contact. Where such damage is excessive,it may lead to permanent disability or death. Public health agencies have the responsibility of recommending maximum permissible doses from which levels of use and release may be derived. These levels will minimize the extent of exposure of population groups and of those elements of the environment directly associated with man's requirements for health and well-being, while encouraging the safe beneficial applications of these materials. To accomplish this aim, the public health agencies must know what radioactive materials are being used in their areas of authority, what amounts of material are to be released to the environment, what pathways are followed by the radionuclides as they move from their source to man or through those elements of the environment upon which he is dependent, and what effect such releases may have on the population groups concerned. Each public health official responsible for assessing the radiation exposure to population groups under his jurisdiction will have to identify, with the aid of competent advisers, those pathways by which radionuclides released to the environment under controlled conditions will result in human exposure or have an effect on the ecosystem. Not all the routes of potential radiation exposure are of equal significance or importance in terms of their contribution to the exposure of people. Therefore, no attempt is made to establish a priority system of exposure potential; what may be important in one area may be of no consequence in another. The exposure pathways are indicated (some have not been evaluated so we know little

Table of Contents
CONTENTS Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Role of public health agencies . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Characterization of wastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Waste management concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Radiation dose levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Environmental effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 2 . Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 3 . Collection and sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Collection systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 4 . Routes and techniques of disposal . . . . . . . . .23 Release to the water environment . . . . . . . . . . .23 Release to the air environment . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Release to the soil environment . . . . . . . . . . . .40 5 . Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 6 . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Annex 1. Exposure pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . Annex 2 . Sources. quantities and composition of wastes from nuclear operations . . . . . . . . . . Annex 3 . Operations research in liquid radioactive waste disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7