Radioactive sources such as nuclear power installations can pose a great threat to both humans and our environment. How do we measure, model and regulate such threats? Environmental Radioactivity and Emergency Preparedness addresses these topical questions and aims to plug the gap in the lack of comprehensive literature in this field. The book explores how to deal with the threats posed by different radiological sources, including those that are lost or hidden, and the issues posed by the use of such sources. It presents measurement methods and approaches to model and quantify the extent of threat, and also presents strategies for emergency preparedness, such as strategies for first-responders and radiological triage in case an accident should happen. Containing the latest recommendations and procedures from bodies such as the IAEA, this book is an essential reference for both students and academicians studying radiation safety, as well as for radiation protection experts in public bodies or in the industry.

In this publication, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) provides updated guidance on radiological protection from cosmic radiation in aviation, taking into account the current ICRP system of radiological protection, the latest available data on exposures in aviation, and experience gained worldwide in the management of exposures in aviation. The publication describes the origins of cosmic radiation, how it exposes passengers and aircraft crew, the basic radiological protection principles that apply to this existing exposure situation, and the available protective actions. For implementation of the optimisation principle, the Commission recommends a graded approach proportionate to the level of exposure that may be received by individuals. The objective is to keep the exposure of the most exposed individuals to a reasonable level. The Commission also recommends that information be disseminated to raise awareness about cosmic radiation, and to support informed decisions among concerned stakeholders.

This book discusses the specifics of safety regulations regarding nuclear risk and how experts contribute to the safety of nuclear installations. Drawing on research conducted in collaboration with the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), the ideas that are put forward rely on a review of the practices of specialists in human and organizational factors concerning nuclear safety. The author shows that the French approach depends on maintaining a technical dialogue between the regulatory authority (ASN), IRSN and nuclear operators. This method of risk management is known as "French cooking" in the Anglo-Saxon world, where a more formal regulatory approach is taken. This technical dialogue does however hold certain benefits, particularly in the field of human and organizational factors, where it allows an advancement of the state of knowledge, which remains incomplete. After the Fukushima accident, in the face of an ongoing European and global re-evaluation of the safety of nuclear power and alignment towards the Anglo-Saxon standard, the French cooking approach may yet be able to make a significant contribution. This work will be of interest to all involved in nuclear power engineering and in the field of risk management and nuclear safety. Includes a preface by Jacques Repussard, Director General, IRSN, France, and a postface by Erik Hollnagel, Professor, Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark / Chief Consultant, Centre for Quality, Region of Southern Denmark.

As radiological residue, both naturally occurring and technologically driven, works its way through the ecosystem, we see its negative effects on the human population. Radionuclide Concentrations in Food and the Environment addresses the key issues concerning the relationship between natural and manmade sources of environmental radioactivity, their transportation through the ecosystem, and the subsequent radionuclide concentrations in foods and the human population. The book discusses the negative effects of environmental radioactivity on plants and animals, as well as the effects of radiocontaminated food on human health, and perspectives for transfer prevention.

Beginning with the fundamentals of matter and the behavior of particles, the text lays a solid foundation for discussions on the source of radionuclides and their concentrations in air, water, and soil. Using predictive modeling, the authors examine the transfer of radionuclides through ecosystems and their effects on individual substances. The book provides up-to-date information on monitoring programs and legislation, detailed descriptions of detection systems, and evaluations of safety protocols in radioanalytical laboratories and in food processing. The authors devote considerable attention to the nuclear and radiological terrorist threat, illicit trafficking and masking of radioactive materials, event scenarios, and radiological forensics.

An exploration of the need for innovative mechanisms of governance in an era when human actions are major drivers of environmental change. The onset of the Anthropocene, an era in which human actions have become major drivers of change on a planetary scale, has increased the complexity of socioecological systems. Complex systems pose novel challenges for governance because of their high levels of connectivity, nonlinear dynamics, directional patterns of change, and emergent properties. Meeting these challenges will require the development of new intellectual capital. In this book, Oran Young argues that to achieve sustainable outcomes in a world of complex systems, we will need governance systems that are simultaneously durable enough to be effective in guiding behavior and agile enough to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. While some insights from past research on governance remain valid in this setting, Young argues that we need new social capital to supplement mainstream regulatory approaches that feature rule making with an emphasis on compliance and enforcement. He explores the uses of goal setting as a governance strategy, the idea of principled governance, and the role of what is often called good governance in meeting the challenges of the Anthropocene. Drawing on his long experience operating on the science/policy frontier, Young calls for more effective collaboration between analysts and practitioners in creating and implementing governance systems capable of producing sustainable outcomes in a world of complex systems.

The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 unleashed a form of energy as mysterious as it was deadly. Suffering Made Real is the compelling story of the first attempts to understand how radiation affected the survivors of the atomic bomb and subsequent generations of Japanese. Arguing that Cold War politics and cultural values fundamentally shaped this scientific research, M. Susan Lindee examines the daily workings, expectations, purposes, and limitations of a project that raises disturbing questions about the ethical implications of using human subjects in scientific research. In 1946, an American scientific agency, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC), was established in Japan to study the long-term biomedical effects of radiation on the survivors. Over the next twenty-nine years, American scientists and physicians, with funding from the Atomic Energy Commission, published hundreds of papers documenting the effects of radiation on aging, life span, fertility, and disease. In 1975, the agency was renamed and reorganized to permit greater Japanese input. How did the emerging Cold War affect the work of the ABCC? What problems seemed most important to ABCC scientists in their interpretation and public presentation of their data? Why did the ABCC have a "no-treatment" policy toward the survivors, one that conflicted with the ABCC's actual practices? Through a detailed examination of ABCC policies, archival materials, the minutes of committee meetings, newspaper accounts, and interviews with ABCC scientists, Lindee demonstrates how political and cultural interests were reflected in the day-to-day operations of this controversial research program. Set in aperiod of conflicting views on nuclear weapons and nuclear power, Suffering Made Real follows the course of a politically charged research program and reveals in detail how politics and cultural values can shape the conduct, results, and uses of science. As scientists, politicians, and health care professionals have become sensitized to the ethical problems of research on human subjects, this book speaks not only to the painful legacy of the atomic bomb, but also to contemporary concerns about the biomedical use of potentially dangerous substances on patients, children, prisoners, and other vulnerable citizens.

This book covers essential aspects of transmutation technologies, highlighting especially the advances in Japan. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has caused us to focus attention on a large amount of spent nuclear fuels stored in NPPs. In addition, public anxiety regarding the treatment and disposal of high-level radioactive wastes that require long-term control is growing. The Japanese policy on the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle is still unpredictable in the aftermath of the accident. Therefore, research and development for enhancing the safety of various processes involved in nuclear energy production are being actively pursued worldwide. In particular, nuclear transmutation technology has been drawing significant attention after the accident. This publication is timely with the following highlights: 1) Development of accelerator-driven systems (ADSs), which is a brand-new reactor concept for transmutation of highly radioactive wastes; 2) Nuclear reactor systems from the point of view of the nuclear fuel cycle. How to reduce nuclear wastes or how to treat them including the debris from TEPCO's Fukushima nuclear power stations is discussed; and 3) Environmental radioactivity, radioactive waste treatment and geological disposal policy. State-of-the-art technologies for overall back-end issues of the nuclear fuel cycle as well as the technologies of transmutation are presented here. The chapter authors are actively involved in the development of ADSs and transmutation-related technologies. The future of the back-end issues in Japan is very uncertain after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP and this book provides an opportunity for readers to consider the future direction of those issues.

This book addresses scientists and engineers involved in the areas of uranium mining and milling sites, clean-up measures, emissions of nuclear power plants and radioactive waste disposal, as well as political decision-makers. The topics covered are: impact on groundwater from radionuclide emission, analytical speciation techniques, chemical toxicity, radioisotope plant uptake, microbiology catalyzing U(6+) to U(4+) reduction, geochemical and reactive transport, case studies on abandoned uranium mines and milling sites, long-term storage of radioactive waste, passive in situ treatment techniques and risk assessment studies.

Advances in Nuclear Safety Analysis Methodology provides a unique exposition on leading-edge safety analysis techniques applied in nuclear reactor licensing. Chapters discuss accidents with major significance to nuclear safety, governing safety design objectives, analysis methods used to quantify the behavior of the reactor, and associated safety-related systems. After sections on both Design Basis Accidents (DBA) and Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBA), the equally important topic of analysis relevant to accident management and emergency response is also addressed. This book will provide researchers, safety analysis and nuclear operational staff with a practical, highly authoritative and consolidated guide on the state-of-the-art.

Faslane naval base, just 30 miles outside Glasgow, holds Britain's entire nuclear arsenal. Despite continued protest in 2006/2007, while Scotland voted against Trident, Westminster voted to re-commission the nuclear submarines. With political disempowerment keenly felt after the war in Iraq, political activist Angie Zelter formed an ambitious plan, Faslane 365 was an attempt by protesters to blockade Faslane every day for a year. This book not only takes you behind the scenes of this remarkable display of non-violent civil resistance but also garners opinions from contributors on all aspects of nuclear disarmament and protest. From the history of Trident and investigations of international law to police involvement and living conditions Faslane 365 will provide a unique inside view of campaigning on this vital issue.