[en] The Royal Decree of 20^th July has entrusted the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) with the task of controlling the territorial radioactivity and the doses received by the population. Within this agenda, a monitoring programme has been developed over many years, in order to follow the main potential exposure pathways of the population. In practice, several potential vectors of contamination are controlled: air (and rain), surface water (including sediments and biota), soils around nuclear installations, food chain, drinking water etc. To carry out such work, the FANC has collaborated with public or private reputable organisations: The Centre of Nuclear Energy Studies of Mol, The National Institute of Radionuclides of Fleurus, and The Louis Pasteur Public Health Institute of Brussels. A synthesis of this monitoring programme will be presented and the most important deductions will be pointed out. For many years, the tendency has been for tighter control of artificial and natural radioactivity in the environment. This has been achieved by increasingly stringent regulations, regarding environmental monitoring efforts, from international organisations (EC, OSPAR, IAEA). In this context, the FANC in Belgium, is involved in a process that will lead to the adaptation of the Belgian monitoring programme. Different aspects of these adaptations and of their consequences will be presented for illustrative purposes

[en] During 1990-1993 monthly measurements on water, air and soil in Shymkent city were being carried out. As observations object different regions of city have been chosen. It is noted direct dependence between the density of the radioactive substances precipitation and amount of dust. However this dependence is not linear. So, the density of the radioactive substances in living region 1,33 times, and in industrial 1,63 times greater then one in park region. Amount of dust precipitation by region differs more sharply -precipitation in industrial region is greater then in park 3,7 times and living region 2,2 times. Dependence between activity A and mass of dust M is expressed by term A=kM^g, were k - proportional coefficient; q - power

[en] A sampling method is a traditional means of determining basic quantitative characteristics and parameters of distribution of radionuclides in a medium. In particular, this method is used to examine soil contaminated as a result of global or accidental fallout. In certain situations, however, the sampling method is hardly practicable. For example, concrete settlers are used for temporary storage of liquid radioactive waste (RW). In the course of the storage radionuclides enter the concrete. A similar situation may occur when solid RW is kept in rooms (storage vaults) with concrete walls and coatings. Upon discharge of the RW it is often necessary to remove an upper layer of concrete that contains radionuclides, therefore it is desirable to have preliminary information on thickness of a layer to be removed. If the sampling method is used for radionuclide content analysis in this case, additional special equipment shall be employed which makes the analysis quite labour intensive. There are field radiometric methods of determining characteristics of soil and bottom deposit contamination that allow evaluating surface activity of radionuclides and thickness of the upper layer of soil that contains more than 80% of the total activity, and establishing some other distinctive features of radionuclide distribution in a medium. (author)

No abstract available

[en] The dismantling work of plutonium-contaminated glove boxes was carried out. These glove boxes had been used for the R and D of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel for 15 years. The work was carried out in a pressure-controlled greenhouse, and the contamination of air in the greenhouse was monitored continuously. In order to reduce the contamination of air during dismantling, the decontamination and fixation of loose contaminants on the surfaces of glove boxes were very important. The correlation between decontamination and the contamination of air regarding dismantling is reported in this paper. The surface contamination density of the glove boxes was measured utilizing the smear method before and after the decontamination, and the decontamination effects were estimated. The contamination of air during dismantling was continuously measured with a plutonium dust monitor. It was found that loose contamination exponentially decreased by the decontamination process. When the so-called wet glove boxes, which contained wet recovery and waste disposal apparatus, were dismantled, the contamination of air did not exceed 500 (MPC) a. However, the contamination of air exceeded 500 (MPC) a several times in the present work of dismantling the so-called dry glove boxes which had been used for the fabrication of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide pellets. (Kato, T.)

No abstract available

[en] Soil contamination is no longer restricted to isolated incidents and locations; it is a general and contentious problem. However, the problem is complex, starting with the very definition of what level and type of contamination is unacceptable. A myriad of regulatory and de facto guidelines have emerged, and they are extremely fragmented, inconsistent and incomplete. This review attempts to summarize the historical development of assessment and remediation guidelines, to highlight the unique difficulties of the problem, and then to discuss the scientific information that exists and that is needed to improve guidelines. This is an unlimited scope for research on this subject. (author)

No abstract available

[en] The imaging plate (IP) is useful for measurement of both distribution and intensity of radiation. This paper described application of IP in radiation control works. Since IP has the 500 times higher sensitivity than the film badge for X-ray-range radiation of 12-120 keV, it can be useful as a personnel dosemeter in medical field. IP is suitable for measurement of radioactivity in a lot of samples and it can be useful for measurement of smear test papers although a problem concerning ³H monitoring remains. Since IP gives the two-dimensional information of radiation distribution, IP can be useful for monitoring of contamination status such as its site and area. A contamination accident occurred by ⁶⁸Ge in PET apparatus is described for instance. IP can be also useful for measurement of the low level radioactivity in solutions, such as waste water. The author made an apparatus for drain monitoring which composed from acryl-box and IP. The surface of the former box, containing the water, is stuck by various shields of acryl- and lead-plates and is in contact with IP. Both measurement of radioactivity concentration and identification of radionuclide are possible. The important defect is pointed out to be fading phenomenon in those works above. (K.H.)

[en] As a consequence of the Chernobyl accident, the European Commission maintains Council Regulation (EEC) number 737/90 which sets out the conditions governing the import of agricultural products originating in third countries and includes maximum permitted level (MPL) that shall be applied in respect of contamination with radiocesium. The main objective of the study was to identify agricultural products which might exceed the MPL of radiocesium. The results show that mushroom and berries from Norway or Russia or Belarus or Ukraine may exceed the MPL. Reindeer meat from Norway will stay suspicious for at least 30 years as well as meat from wild animals originating from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and some other countries. Some agricultural products like living cows or horses, poultry,... can be excluded from the list except for products issued from areas with strong contamination