Internal Exposure Monitoring for Polish Nuclear Facility Personnel – Current and Future Status

The National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) is one of the largest science institutes in Poland and the operator of MARIA nuclear reactor. The NCBJ encompasses: 17 divisions (11 research and 6 development), which include among others the MARIA reactor and supporting facilities. At NCBJ research in various fields of nuclear chemistry (nuclear medicine, dosimetry in radiation protection), physics (accelerator physics, nuclear physics, radiation medical physics), cosmology, advanced materials and technologies (material science, electronics and detectors for nuclear industry) are conducted. Major part of personnel employed at NCBJ is classified as workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation thus have to be properly monitored and covered by the radiation dose estimation procedure. Radiation Protection Measurements Laboratory (RPML) is a science division created in order to provide constant radiation monitoring of Świerk nuclear facility along with exposure monitoring and dose assessment for NCBJ personnel. Within the structure of RPML operates a research laboratory accredited in the field of internal dosimetry and environmental radiation monitoring by Polish Centre for Accreditation (certificate No. AB 567). The laboratory offers internal exposure monitoring for NCBJ personnel and external customers, using both in vitro and in vivo methods, and also coordinates the external exposure monitoring outsourced to other laboratory. RPLM offers the wide range of internal dosimetry measurement techniques including whole body measurements, thyroid measurements and radiochemical analyses of urine samples.