Technical Reports Series

This publication is one of the series of IAEA publications on the environmental behaviour of naturally occurring radionuclides. It outlines uranium behaviour in different environments, as well as its transfer to, and metabolism in, humans. The publication also provides concepts, models and data required for the assessment of the impacts of uranium on non-human biota. Assessing the environmental and health effects of uranium poses specific challenges because of the combination of different types of hazard and potential exposures. Therefore, both the radiotoxicity and chemical toxicity of uranium are considered in this publication.

Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) is the most common technique used in research reactors worldwide. The IAEA aims to enhance quality assurance in NAA laboratories by supporting annual proficiency testing, by developing and offering relevant e-learning as well as specialized publications. This publication, which is based on the most up to date relevant ISO guides and international practices, provides practical guidance on quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) in NAA laboratories. It is intended to be used in the day-to-day work of NAA at research reactors. Potential sources of errors and associated QA/QC actions are detailed for all main areas of NAA practice. Easy to use tables are provided, intended for direct reference in the laboratory.

Written to assist individuals in academia and industry and in relevant regulatory and policy roles, this publication provides a summary of the current knowledge on the status of research, technological developments, reactor designs and experiments in the area of advanced reactors that are fueled or cooled by a molten salt. Identification of challenges and areas where research and development are still required in preparation for commercial deployment gives context to current and planned work. The aim of this publication is to share information on programs and projects on molten salt reactors in Member States which will shape future collaborative efforts.

The operational useful lifetime of semiconductor electronic devices working in harsh radiation environments is limited by the structural defects induced by the exposure to ionizing radiation. This has immediate consequences for their use in high radiation environments, for example in nuclear facilities, satellites, radiotherapy, medical diagnostics, security and other industries. This publication establishes a standardized procedure to quantify the radiation hardness of semiconductor diode materials in a way that is independent of the irradiation parameters and biasing conditions of the device. The established parameter reflects the additional free charge carrier trapping cross section induced by the damaging radiation, normalized to the predicted concentration of generated vacancies by the same radiation. The effectiveness of the approach is validated through different types of ion beam irradiations, characterizations and materials used. The work leads towards approaches to predict the radiation induced effects on device performance for more complex electronic structures.

The ability of the nuclear industry to continue to operate safely, securely and reliably during special circumstances such as a pandemic is essential and depends upon the effectiveness of its preparation, response and recovery plans as well as the ability of relevant organizations to adapt and respond to unforeseen situations. The purpose of this publication is to share experience with regard to managing and regulating facilities and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to assist Member States in considering further actions to improve preparedness and response in relation to the ongoing pandemic and any future ones. The effective sharing of operating and regulatory experience is intended to have a positive influence on the response to, and recovery from, such global events. This publication is therefore written for operating organizations, regulatory bodies, competent authorities, research and technical support organizations, contractors and vendors.

The brachytherapy process requires consistent reference dosimetry that is traceable to metrological primary standards and common procedures to be followed for reference dosimetry globally. The Code of Practice is addressed to both Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories and hospitals. It fulfills the need for a systematic and internationally unified approach to the calibration and use of vented well-type re-entrant ionisation chambers in determining the strength of brachytherapy sources with intensities measurable by such detectors. The dosimetry formalism as well as common procedures for calibration, reference dosimetry, reference-class instrument assessment and commissioning of the well-type ionisation chamber system are provided.

This publication was developed from the exchange of information, experiences and practices by participating Member States at the IAEA Technical Meeting on the Safety and Security Interface — Approaches and National Experiences, held in Vienna in 2018. It aims to provide a better understanding of the important elements of the interface between nuclear safety and nuclear security for facilities and activities and to highlight the challenges, opportunities and good practices for its effective management when planning and implementing different programmes and activities.

Containment barrier systems are among the most widely used technologies for remediating contaminated sites. Various structures have been engineered to address site-specific needs, while barrier selection depends largely on whether regulatory requirements are prescriptive, or performance based. This publication provides an introduction to the design and construction of different containment barriers for low-level radioactive waste generated from remediation activities: basal (bottom) liners, final covers, in situ vertical barriers and in situ permeable reactive barriers. Practical aspects of each structure are discussed in theoretical case studies, which allow remediation project designers, implementers and regulators to make more informed decisions about the use of these barriers.

Regulations governing the safe transport of radioactive material have been developed and maintained at the international and national levels for more than six decades. More recently, similar efforts have been initiated for security during the transport of radioactive material; however, safety and security provisions have typically been developed independently. The aim of this publication is to provide technical guidelines and practical information to assist Member States, competent authorities and operators in ensuring an integrated and coordination approach. Based on international good practices, its use will facilitate the management of the interface between nuclear safety and security during normal commercial shipments of radioactive material that pose a low radiological consequence if attacked by an adversary.

This publication has been developed to assist IAEA Member States in establishing and maintaining regulatory control through notification, authorization, inspection and enforcement in relation to facilities and activities with radiation sources, in order to achieve the fundamental safety and security objectives. The publication addresses the implementation of the requirements for safety and security in a harmonized way, taking into account differences in the requirements as well as differences in States’ regulatory infrastructures. For example, in some States the same regulatory body is responsible for the control of safety and security, while in others, safety and security are controlled by separate regulatory bodies. A harmonized approach for notification, authorization, inspection and enforcement is intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regulatory control through concurrent inspection for safety and security.