Limitation of radioactive discharges from NPP based on radionuclide specific monitoring

Monitoring of gaseous and liquid discharges from nuclear power plants based on particulate-iodine-gas measurements and gross beta or gamma plus tritium measurements is being improved by performing radionuclide specific measurements using semiconductor gamma and beta spectrometers and radiochemical methods. A new concept of regulatory effluent limits is being developed. The activities of all the relevant radionuclides discharged during a years, multiplied by the appropriate Sv/Bq conversion coefficient based on a standard multi-pathway model, are summed up, and the effective dose is compared with the new limit. Such limits should be laid down as the per capita collective commitment effective dose in the plant surroundings for atmospheric discharges, and as the committed effective dose to a critical group member for the hydrospheric releases