title: Workplace monitoring for exposures to radon and to other natural sources in Europe: integration of monitoring for internal and external exposures.
abstract: Part of the action of the EURADOS working group (European Radiation Dosimetry Group) on "Harmonisation of Individual Monitoring in Europe" was to investigate how the results from personal dosemeters for external radiation, from monitoring for internal exposure and from workplace monitoring, can be combined into a complete and consistent system of individual monitoring. To facilitate this work, the "EURADOS questionnaire Q3" relating to radon and other natural sources of radiation in the workplace was distributed to relevant institutes across Europe. A total of 24 countries replied to the questionnaire. This study offers an important overview on actual regulations, national standards and reference levels for protection of employees from radon and other natural sources in different workplace scenarios. Information was also collected on individual monitoring and area monitoring to determine individual doses in workplaces with elevated levels of natural radiation. The article discusses in detail the results obtained showing by country the reference level in workplaces for radon gas and other natural sources. In both instances, exposures in mines, other underground workplaces, industry workplaces/waterworks, offices, schools and day-care homes were considered. The resultant data clearly indicate that there is a need for harmonisation among countries, not least in the areas of regulation and use of reference levels in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: CIEMAT-Internal Dosimetry; Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid, Spain. ma.lopez@ciemat.es
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Currivan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olko
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wernli
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Castellani
mesh_terms: D001417:Background Radiation; D001822:Body Burden; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005060:Europe; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007391:International Cooperation; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D012015:Reference Standards; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D011886:Radon