title: GHSI EMERGENCY RADIONUCLIDE BIOASSAY LABORATORY NETWORK - SUMMARY OF THE SECOND EXERCISE.
abstract: The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) established a laboratory network within the GHSI community to develop collective surge capacity for radionuclide bioassay in response to a radiological or nuclear emergency as a means of enhancing response capability, health outcomes and community resilience. GHSI partners conducted an exercise in collaboration with the WHO Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network and the IAEA Response and Assistance Network, to test the participating laboratories (18) for their capabilities in in vitro assay of biological samples, using a urine sample spiked with multiple high-risk radionuclides (90Sr, 106Ru, 137Cs, and 239Pu). Laboratories were required to submit their reports within 72 h following receipt of the sample, using a pre-formatted template, on the procedures, methods and techniques used to identify and quantify the radionuclides in the sample, as well as the bioassay results with a 95% confidence interval. All of the participating laboratories identified and measured all or some of the radionuclides in the sample. However, gaps were identified in both the procedures used to assay multiple radionuclides in one sample, as well as in the methods or techniques used to assay specific radionuclides in urine. Two-third of the participating laboratories had difficulties in determining all the radionuclides in the sample. Results from this exercise indicate that challenges remain with respect to ensuring that results are delivered in a timely, consistent and reliable manner to support medical interventions. Laboratories within the networks are encouraged to work together to develop and maintain collective capabilities and capacity for emergency bioassay, which is an important component of radiation emergency response.
authors: Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
authors: Chunsheng
authors: C
authors: Li
authors: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Le Vésinet, France.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Bartizel
authors: Institute of Radiation Protection, ENEA, Rome, Italy.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Battisti
authors: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Böttger
authors: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Bouvier
authors: International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Capote-Cuellar
authors: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors: Zhanat
authors: Z
authors: Carr
authors: Public Health England, Chilton, UK.
authors: Derek
authors: D
authors: Hammond
authors: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Hartmann
authors: Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Tarja
authors: T
authors: Heikkinen
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA.
authors: Robert L
authors: RL
authors: Jones
authors: National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
authors: Eunjoo
authors: E
authors: Kim
authors: Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Ko
authors: Instituto Peruano de Energia Nuclear, Lima, Peru.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Koga
authors: State Research Center - Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center, Moscow, Russia.
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Kukhta
authors: Public Health England, Glasgow, UK.
authors: Lorna
authors: L
authors: Mitchell
authors: Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Ryan
authors: R
authors: Morhard
authors: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
authors: Francois
authors: F
authors: Paquet
authors: Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
authors: Debora
authors: D
authors: Quayle
authors: National Radiation Protection Institute (SURO), Praha, Czech Republic.
authors: Petr
authors: P
authors: Rulik
authors: Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
authors: Baki
authors: B
authors: Sadi
authors: All-Russian Center of Emergency & Radiation Medicine, St. Peterburg, Russia.
authors: Aleksanin
authors: A
authors: Sergei
authors: Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnol?gicas, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Inmaculada
authors: I
authors: Sierra
authors: Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Wanderson
authors: W
authors: de Oliveira Sousa
authors: National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Gyula
authors: G
authors: Szab
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D011005:Plutonium; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011868:Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D011005:Plutonium