Report of the consultant's meeting on monitoring accidentally released radionuclides in the environment

At an earlier Research Co-ordination Meeting (12-16 August 1991, VIC, Vienna) for the IAEA Programme on 'Rapid Instrumental and Separation Methods for Monitoring Radionuclides in Food and Environmental Samples', it was recognized that a network of analytical laboratories with specially qualified scientists is needed which will provide a timely coordinated response to any future requests for assistance from Member States. The experience gained from the International Chernobyl Project revealed that there is a need for such a closely linked group when the Member State lacks sufficient technical resource to independently perform an assessment of environmental contamination following an accidental release of radioactivity. The existence of such a network of laboratories would help to assure responsible government representatives and the general public that the Agency has additional available resources including specialized experts to perform assessments on which to base required actions for many accident scenarios and their radiological consequences. The purpose of the present Consultants' Meeting is to discuss the organization and scope of the proposed network of analytical laboratories. The Consultants should discuss the matrices and nuclides of interest at various time frames of an accidental release of radioactivity. It is also intended that the Consultants should discuss the laboratories from their experience which would have the specialized expertise needed, in both terrestrial and aquatic sample collection and analysis. Finally, it is intended that the Consultants should discuss whether it would be desirable for the Agency to produce a technical document based on the achievements of the Agency programme on 'Rapid Instrumental and Separation Methods for Monitoring Radionuclides in Food and Environmental Samples'. A Guide Book was considered essential by the participants of this Co-ordinated Research Programme because it would be a succinct form and on a common theme, in which to effectively disseminate the rapid methods which have been developed. A Guide Book would keep the methods available in a single publication rather than being scattered throughout the scientific literature. In addition, methodology for the rapid assessment of radionuclide contamination in the environment is a valuable service that the Agency can provide to the Member States