Abstracts ASN Report 2019

ڲ٫ת Industrial, research and veterinary uses of ionising radiation ׏ِ׏ Èɀƺɀ Ȓǔ ɀƺƏǼƺƳ ȸƏƳǣȒƏƬɎǣɮƺ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ Sealed radioactive sources are defined as sources whose structure or packaging, in normal use, prevents any dispersion of radioactive substances into the surrounding environment. Their main uses are presented below. ׏ِ׏ِ׏ àƺȸǣǔǣƬƏɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ ȵǝɵɀǣƬƏǼ ȵƏȸƏȅƺɎƺȸɀ The operating principle of these physical parameter verification devices is the attenuation of the signal emitted: the difference between the emitted signal and the received signal can be used to assess the desired information. The most commonly used radionuclides are carbon-14, cobalt-60, ľŅŌŃŇłŁіӋӈё ĶĴĸņļňŀіӄӆӊё ŃŅłŀĸŇĻļňŀіӄӇӊׇĴŁķ ĴŀĸŅļĶļňŀіӅӇӄє The source activity ranges from a few kilobecquerels (kBq) to a few gigabecquerels (GBq). The sources are used for the following purposes: Ҋ Atmospheric dust measurement: the air is permanently filtered through a tape placed between the source and detector, running at a controlled speed. The intensity of radiation received by the detector depends on the amount of dust on the filter, which enables this amount to be determined. The most frequently used ņłňŅĶĸņ ĴŅĸ ĶĴŅĵłŁіӄӇׇ҂ŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ ӆєӈ ŀĸĺĴĵĸĶńňĸŅĸĿņ Ҏ ńҏ҂ łŅ ŃŅłŀĸŇĻļňŀіӄӇӊׇҎŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ ӌׇ ńҏє Ļĸņĸ measurements are used for air quality monitoring by verifying the dust content of discharges from plants. Ҋ Paper weight measurement: a beam of beta radiation passes through the paper and hits a detector situated opposite. The signal attenuation on this detector indicates the density of the paper, and therefore its weight per unit area. The sources used ĴŅĸ ĺĸŁĸŅĴĿĿŌ ľŅŌŃŇłŁіӋӈׇłŅ ŃŅłŀĸŇĻļňŀіӄӇӊё ŊļŇĻ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇļĸņ łĹ ӆׇ ń ĴŇ ŇĻĸ ŀłņŇє Ҋ Liquid level measurement: a gamma radiation beam passes through the container holding the liquid. It is received by a detector positioned opposite. The signal attenuation measured on this detector indicates the filling level of the container and automatically triggers certain operations (stop/continue filling, alarm, etc.). The radionuclides used depend on the characteristics of the container and the content. The sources ĺĸŁĸŅĴĿĿŌ ňņĸķ ĴŅĸ ĴŀĸŅļĶļňŀіӅӇӄׇҎŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ ӄєӊׇ ńҏ łŅ ĶĴĸņļňŀіӄӆӊׇ҂ ĵĴŅļňŀіӄӆӊŀ ҎŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ ӆӊׇ ńҏє Ҋ Density measurement and weighing: the principle is the same as for the above two measurements. The sources used ĴŅĸ ĺĸŁĸŅĴĿĿŌ ĴŀĸŅļĶļňŀіӅӇӄׇҎŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ Ӆׇ ńҏё ĶĴĸņļňŀіӄӆӊׇ҂ ĵĴŅļňŀіӄӆӊŀ ҎŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ ӄӃӃׇ ńҏ łŅ ĶłĵĴĿŇіӉӃׇҎŊļŇĻ ĴŁ ĴĶіŇļʼnļŇŌ łĹ ӆӃׇ ńҏє Ҋ Soil density and humidity measurement (gammadensimetry), particularly in agriculture and public works. These devices ĹňŁĶŇļłŁ ŊļŇĻ Ĵ ņłňŅĶĸ łĹ ĶĴĸņļňŀіӄӆӊׇĴŁķ Ĵ ŃĴļŅ łĹ ĴŀĸŅļĶļňŀі beryllium sources. Ҋ Diagraphy (logging), which enables the geological properties of the subsoil to be examined by inserting a measurement probe containing a source of cobalt-60, caesium-137, ĴŀĸŅļĶļňŀіӅӇӄׇłŅ ĶĴĿļĹłŅŁļňŀіӅӈӅє łŀĸ ņłňŅĶĸņ ňņĸķ ĴŅĸ high-activity sealed sources. CHAPTER 08 The industrial and research sectors have ƫƺƺȇ ژ ɖɀǣȇǕ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ Ȓǔ ǣȒȇǣɀǣȇǕ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ǣȇ Ə ژ ɯǣƳƺ ȸƏȇǕƺ Ȓǔ ƏȵȵǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ ƏȇƳ ǼȒƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ for many years now. The purpose of the radiation protection regulations is to check that the safety of workers, the public and the environment is properly ensured. This protection involves more specifically ensuring proper management of the sources, which are often portable and used on worksites, and monitoring the conditions of possession, use and disposal, from fabrication through to end of life. It also involves monitoring the main stakeholders, that is to say the source manufacturers and suppliers, and enhancing their accountability. The ongoing updating of the regulatory framework for nuclear activities established by the Public Health Code and the Labour Code is leading to a tightening of the principle of justification, consideration of natural radionuclides, the implementation of Ə ژ ȅȒȸƺ ژ ǕȸƏƳƺƳ ƏȵȵȸȒƏƬǝ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ƏƳȅǣȇǣɀɎȸƏɎǣɮƺ systems and measures to protect the sources against malicious acts. These regulatory developments started to bring substantial changes in the oversight of industrial, research and veterinary activities as of January 2019. They also concern the extension of the notification system to certain nuclear activities that use radioactive sources and will continue steadily in the coming years. The radiation sources used are either ȸƏƳǣȒȇɖƬǼǣƳƺɀ ٫ƺɀɀƺȇɎǣƏǼǼɵ ƏȸɎǣǔǣƬǣƏǼ٫ ǣȇ ɀƺƏǼƺƳ or unsealed sources, or electrical devices generating ionising radiation. The practices/ applications presented in this chapter concern the manufacture and distribution of all sources, the industrial, research and veterinary uses (medical activities are presented in chapter 7) and activities not regulated under the Basic Nuclear Installations (BNIs) System (these are ȵȸƺɀƺȇɎƺƳ ǣȇ ƬǝƏȵɎƺȸɀ ׏׎ً ׏׏ ژ ƏȇƳ ׏ א ٣ِ Sources of ionising radiation and their industrial, veterinary and research applications 230 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019