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Technical Meeting on Harmonization of Reference Levels for Foodstuffs

and Drinking Water Contaminated Following a Nuclear Accident

Vienna, Austria, 8 - 12 September 2014.

Nasrin Fathabadi

Current contact point: ERPD’s laboratory, Tehran, Iran

nfathabadi@aeoi.org.i r

Environmental Radiological Protection Division( ERPD),

National Radiation Protection Department (NRPD)

Iran Nuclear Regulatory Authority (INRA)

Control of Foodstuffs & Water in I.R.Iran

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Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (INRA)

is a technical expert organization

to perform various nuclear and radiation

regulatory activities in order to reduce radiation

risks and

to monitor the environmental radiation

across the Iranian territory

I. Introduction of the INRA 1. What is INRA in Iran

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Development of regulatory infrastructure

Management of nuclear safety information

Management of license inspections

Education and training (Nuclear and Radiation Safety)

Review and inspection of safety of nuclear/radiation facilities and related activities to protect the public health and safety, and the environment.

I. Introduction of the INRA 2. The Mission of INRA

Licensing Board

National Radiation

Protection Department

(NRPD)

Nuclear Safety and

Protection Technology Center

(R&D)

Nuclear Safeguards

Department (NSD)

National Nuclear Safety Department

(NNSD)

Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (INRA)

3. The Organization Chart of INRA I. Introduction of the INRA

4. National Radiation Protection Department (NRPD)

National radiation

protection department is

located in Tehran. More

than 140 scientific

experts, technical and

administrative

specialists, in the form

of specialized working

groups are engaged in

different fields at the

NRPD.

Headquarters of the National Radiation Protection

Department

I. Introduction of the INRA

National Radiation

Protection Department

Research and Development

of Radiation Safety

Division

Environment Radiological Protection Division

Dosimetry Division

Supervision, Inspection and

Enforcement Division

Radiation Safety Assessment and

Licensing Division

Standard Division

I. Introduction of the INRA 5. The Organization Chart of INRA

History

In Iran, environmental radiation monitoring began in 1976 by measuring the concentrations of some radionuclides in air, water, soil and food samples in Bushehr and Isfahan provinces. The results of these measurements represent the normal levels.

After the Chernobyl accident main activities focused on environmental radiation measurement, including artificial radionuclides such as 137Cs in soil and food samples .

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II. Environmental Radiation and Radioactivity Monitoring in Iran

1. Monitoring Plan- History

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National Monitoring

Program

Background

Monitoring

Source Oriented

Monitoring

(In site and off site of nuclear

facilities)

Marine Monitoring

(Coastal and Offshore samples:

Beach sand, Surface water,

Flora and Fauna)

Land-base

(Milk, Foodstuff, air and

soil)

Aquatic

(Drinking water, Ground and

Surface waters, Sediments,

Flora and Fauna)

Land-base

(Milk, Foodstuff, air and

soil)

Aquatic

(Drinking water, Ground and

Surface waters, Sediments,

Flora and Fauna)

II. Environmental Radiation and Radioactivity Monitoring in Iran 1. Monitoring Plan

The purpose of a background radiation monitoring program is to evaluate the normal levels of radionuclides and radiation in the environment from natural sources and atmospheric fallout and to monitor trends over time

This program also addresses general aspects of monitoring for

long lived radionuclides widely dispersed in the environment

following a radiation accident, or as residual waste from past

practices.

This includes monitoring of the content of natural and human

made radionuclides in foodstuffs and drinking water.

The types of media routinely sampled in this program include

milk, food stuffs, air, water, soil, sediment, flora and fauna.

Environmental Radiation and Radioactivity Monitoring in Iran cont.

2. Control the levels of radioactivity in Foodstuffs

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Control the levels of radioactivity in Foodstuffs

A national system for monitoring and controls the levels of radioactivity in foodstuffs and selected commodities have been established by INRA.

Control the levels of radioactivity in Foodstuffs (cont.)

INRA has prepared a document for controlling the level of radioactivity in

foodstuff (Doc. No. INRA-RP-WI-200-70/38-0-1388).

In this document, the radionuclides action levels for foods have been determined.

In the case of nuclear accident or radiological events that might affect the country

and in the post emergency situation , Derived Intervention Levels (DILs) has been

determined base on a generic intervention exemption level of around 1 mSv in a

year and can be used to prevent or reduce exposure due to consumption of

foodstuffs.

The kinds of foodstuff samples, radionuclide targets, analysis, sampling frequency

and sampling points are mentioned in the document and base on this foodstuff

monitoring programme, INRA has controlled the levels of radioactivity in

foodstuffs.

Control the levels of radioactivity in Foodstuffs (cont.)

Some imported foods, some local foodstuffs; including fish and dates, water, vegetables, fruits, rice, corns, meat and milk are monitored regularly with gamma spectrometry and alpha spectrometry.

Food basket: consumption of locally produced food or purchasing the food products from general distribution system

INRA however, provides technical services on request from exporters to carry out radioactivity measurements and issues certificates of radioactivity levels in food stuff for export purposes.

Control the levels of radioactivity in Foodstuffs (cont.)

There is a national Standard for Water (St. No 1053) on the quality of water intended

for people consumption in IRAN. This standard deals with the microbiological,

chemical and also radioactive aspects. As far as the last point is concerned, the

technical procedures specifying the analyses to be carried out as well as the

Directive’s modalities of application have been prepared.

This national Standard for Water (St. No 1053) has prepared base on “Guidelines for

Drinking- water Quality, second ADDENDUM TO THIRD EDITION,Volume1,

Recommendations, World Health Organization; WHO, Chapter 9; Radiological aspects

(2006)”

A reference effective dose of 0.1mSv from 1 year’s consumption of drinking-water

(which is 10% of the intervention exemption level recommended by the ICRP for

prolonged exposure situations (ICRP 82)

Control the levels of radioactivity in water

Radioactivity concentration in imported foodstuff from 1986 to 2012 in Iran

Foodstuff

Total Number of Analysis

Maximum Radioactivity concentration ( Bq/kg)

Milk

From 1986 to 1989 2755 250

From 1989 to 2012

6181 < MDA

Meat

From 1986 to 1989 10147 230

From 1989 to 2012 15300 < MDA

MDA for Cs-137 : 0.5 (Bq/Kg)

• After Fukushima accident Cs-137 or other radionuclides were not detected in imported foodstuff in Iran.

Thank you

for your

attention