Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Response

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook on Radiation Environment, Volume 1

  • 51 Accesses

Abstract

Radiation has several uses in economic, health, and social avenues and nuclear power is well established as a viable source of power generation. Together their rapid growth has contributed immensely to national development and progress of humanity. While this is commendable, it is prudent to be prepared for any eventuality that may arise in this journey. Historical accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima have only highlighted the need for preparedness in the nuclear and radiation journey. In this chapter, we present a holistic account of radiation emergency preparedness and response (REPR). Radiation emergencies are defined and the typical events leading to such emergencies are described. A brief account of the historical accidents and incidents is presented to set the broader context and the impact of such emergencies on national development is discussed to highlight the need for a robust REPR. This chapter then discusses in detail the national and international frameworks at work in the field of REPR. The generic radiation emergency management systems that bind the REPR of a nation are discussed and a detailed accounting of the preparedness and response measures followed by India and the world is also given.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. International Atomic Energy Agency (1986) Convention on assistance in the case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  2. International Atomic Energy Agency (2018) IAEA safety glossary. Terminology used in nuclear safety and radiation protection. 2018 edition. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  3. Los Alamos National Laboratory (2000) A review of criticality accidents-2000 revision. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos

    Google Scholar 

  4. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (2016) Safe Transport of Radioactive Material. AERB, Mumbai

    Google Scholar 

  5. International Atomic Energy Agency (1988) The radiological accident in Goiania. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  6. International Atomic Energy Agency (2007) Arrangements for preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  7. NUSTL (2017) Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) guidance: planning for the first 100 minutes. National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1979) TMI-2 lessons learned task force final report. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  9. Williams D (2001) Lessons from Chernobyl. BMJ 323:643–644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Medical Research Council (1960) The hazards to man of nuclear and allied radiations. Appendix H. Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, London

    Google Scholar 

  11. International Atomic Energy Agency (2015) The Fukushima Daiichi accident. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  12. Mensah J (2019) Sustainable development: meaning, history, principles, pillars, and implications for human action: literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, p 1653531

    Google Scholar 

  13. van den Bosch M (2018) The health impact of natural disasters. In: Bird W, van den Bosch M (eds) Oxford textbook of nature and public health: the role of nature in improving the health of a population. Oxford Academic

    Google Scholar 

  14. Makwana N (2019) Disaster and its impact on mental health: A narrative review. J Family Med Primary Care 3090–3095

    Google Scholar 

  15. Panwar V, Sen S (2019) Economic impact of natural disasters: an empirical re-examination. Margin J Appl Econ Res 109–139

    Google Scholar 

  16. Shi P (2019) Hazards, disasters, and risks. Disaster Risk Science, pp 1–48

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kreimer A (2001) Social and economic impacts of natural disasters. Int Geol Rev 401–405

    Google Scholar 

  18. Stamford L, Azapagic A (2011) Sustainability indicators for the assessment of nuclear power. Energy 36(10):6037–6057

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Rojavin Y, Seamon MJ, Tripathi RS, Papadimos TJ, Galwankar S, Kman N, Cipolla J, Grossman MD, Marchigiani R, Stawicki SP (2011) Civilian nuclear incidents: an overview of historical, medical, and scientific aspects. J Emerg Trauma Shock 260–272

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mosneaga A (2021) Technological disasters and displacement in developed world: What should we learn from Fukushima IDPs? Refug Surv Q 39(4):572–582

    Google Scholar 

  21. World Health Organization (1995) Health consequences of the Chernobyl accident. WHO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  22. International Atomic Energy Agency (2006) Environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident and their remediation: twenty years of experience. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  23. Brasor P, Tsubuku M (2021) How the cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear accident got so expensive. Asia-Pac J 19(7):1–4

    Google Scholar 

  24. US Environmental Protection Agency (2017) Radiological emergency response plan. US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  25. US Environmental Protection Agency (2023) Superfund: CERCLA overview. US Environmental Protection Agency, 30 October 2023. https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview. Accessed 14 Dec 2023

  26. US Department of Homeland Security (2023) Homeland security act of 2002. US Department of Homeland Security. https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-act-2002. Accessed 16 Dec 2023

  27. Environmental Protection Agency (2019) National plan for nuclear and radiological emergency exposures. https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/radiation/national-plan-for-nuclear-and-radiological-emergency-exposures-.php. Accessed 14 Dec 2023

  28. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (2019) Guide for radiation protection in emergency exposure situations. https://www.arpansa.gov.au/regulation-and-licensing/regulatory-publications/radiation-protection-series/guides-and-recommendations/rpsg-3. Accessed 10 Dec 2023

  29. International Atomic Energy Agency (2015) Preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency, GSR Part 7. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  30. G. P.-7. International Atomic Energy Agency (2015) Preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency. IAEA Safety Standards, Vienna.

    Google Scholar 

  31. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2023) Sendai framework terminology on disaster risk reduction. https://www.undrr.org/terminology/preparedness. Accessed 20 June 2023

  32. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (2008) Probabilisitc safety assessment for nuclear power plants and research reactors. AERB, Mumbai, IN

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ritchie LT, Johnson JD, Blond RM (1983) Calculation of reactor accident consequences (CRAC2). Sandia National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA

    Google Scholar 

  34. Sullivan TJ, Ellis JS, Foster CS, Foster KT, Baskett RL, Nasstrom JS, Schalk III WW (1993) Atmospheric release advisory capability: real-time modeling of airborne hazardous materials. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 74(12)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Raskob W, Trybushnyi D, Ievdin I, Zheleznyak M (2011) RODOS: platform for improved long term countermeasures modelling and management. Radioprotection 46(6):S731–S736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Lee Y (2014) Atomic computerized technical advisory system for a radiological emergency. In: Regional workshop of nuclear and radiological emergency, South Korea.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Syrakov D, Veleva B, Prodanova M, Popova T, Kolarova M. (2009) The Bulgarian emergency response system for dose assessment in the early stage of accidental releases to the atmosphere. J Environ Radioact 100:151–156

    Google Scholar 

  38. Shekhar SR, Srinivas CV, Rakesh P, Deepu R, Rao PP, Baskaran R, Venkatraman B (2020) Online nuclear emergency response system (ONERS) for consequence assessment and decision support in the early phase of nuclear accidents-simulations for postulated events and methodology validation. Prog Nucl Energy 119:103177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Ehrhardt J (1997) The RODOS system: decision support for off-site emergency management in Europe. Radiat Prot Dosim 73(1–4):35–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Sangiorgi M, Hernández-Ceballos MA, Jackson K, Cinelli G, Bogucarskis K, De Felice L, Patrascu A, De Cort M (2020) The European radiological data exchange platform (EURDEP): 25 years of monitoring data exchange. Earth Syst Sci Data 12(1)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Cort MD, De Vries G (1997) The European union radiological data exchange platform (EURDEP): two years of international data exchange experience. Radiat Prot Dosim 73(1–4):17–20

    Google Scholar 

  42. Aswal DK, Nakhe SV, Shukla P, Chaudhary N, Ganguli T, Upadhyay BN (2022) An overview of key enabling technologies for DAE’s nuclear programme. Curr Sci 123(3):353–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Misawa M, Nagamori F (2008) System for prediction of environmental emergency dose information network system. Fujitsu 44(4):377–388

    Google Scholar 

  44. Ima K, Chino M, Ishikawa H, Kai M, Asai K, Homma T, Hidaka A, Nakamura Y, Ijima T, Moriuchi S (1985) SPEEDI: a computer code system for the real-time prediction of radiation dose to the public due to an accidental release. JAERI, Ibaraki-ken, Japan

    Google Scholar 

  45. Brown A, Franken P, Bonner S, Dolezal N, Moross J (2016) Safecast: successful citizen-science for radiation measurement and communication after Fukushima. J Radiol Prot 36:S82–S101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Kuˇca P, Helebrant J, Bossew P (2023) Citizen monitoring of ambient dose rate: the SAFECAST project. Radiat Prot Dosim 199(8–9):775–780

    Google Scholar 

  47. Franck D, Parre F, Vathaire CC-D, Blanchardon E, Broggio D, Moya X, Viltard D, Agarande M (2014) Development of a fleet of mobile units for accident monitoring of internal contamination: application in the frame of Fukushima accident. Prog Nucl Sci Technol 4:56–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Pujari R, Saindane SS, Jain A, Parmar J, Narsaiah M, Pote M, Murali S, Probal C (2018) Development of mobile radiological assessment laboratory. In: Proceedngs of IARP international conference on developments towards improvement of radiological surveillance at nuclear facilities and environment (IARPIC-18), Mumbai

    Google Scholar 

  49. Mobile Incident Command/Radiation Laboratory (2023) Virginia Department of Health. https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/radiological-health/radiological-health/emergency-response/mobile-incident-commandradiation-laboratory/. Accessed 12 May 2023.

  50. SAMmobile 150 (RD-150)Vehicle Mounted Radiation Detection System (VMRDS) (2023) Berkeley Nucleonics Corp. https://www.berkeleynucleonics.com/sammobile-150-rd-150. Accessed 13 May 2023.

  51. Lyons C, Colton D (2012) Aerial measuring system in Japan. Health Phys 102(5):509–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Futemma A, Sanada Y, Iwai MSYKT, Hiraga S, Haginoya M, Matsunaga Y, Akutsu Y, Hokoma T, Hiraoka H, Urabe Y, Kudo T (2022) Background radiation monitoring via manned helicopter for application of technique of nuclear emergency response in the fiscal year 2021. Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki-ken, Japan

    Google Scholar 

  53. Jindal P, Jose JR, Gupta A, Sharma M, Parmar J, Chaudhury P, Kulkarni M (2018) Development of GCS for auto-search of point gamma source using quad-rotor based aerial radiation monitoring system. In: Proceedings of 33rd IARP international conference on developments towards improvement of radiological surveillance at nuclear facilities and environment (IARPIC-2018), Mumbai

    Google Scholar 

  54. Krishnamachari G, Raman N, Sharma D, Raman A, Kale M, Suri M, Chaudhury P, Pradeep Kumar K, Harikumar M (1998) Design of a compact aerial gamma spectrometry system. Radiat Prot Environ 21(1):21–27

    Google Scholar 

  55. Raman N, Chaudhury P, Padmanabhan N, Pradeepkumar K, Sharma D (2005) Design and development of a Compact Aerial Radiation Monitoring System (CARMS). Defence Lab Jodhpur, Jodhpur, pp 233–238

    Google Scholar 

  56. International Atomic Energy Agency (2012) Communication with the public in a nuclear or radiological emergency. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  57. National Disaster Management Guidelines—Management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies (2009) A publication of the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India. ISBN 978-81-906483-7-0, February 2009, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Safety Systems Division, Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

    R. K. B. Yadav, Anirudh Chandra, Tejram Meena, J. K. Divkar,  Vikas, Amod Mishra, R. N. Pujari, M. V. R. Narsaiah & Ravi Prabath

Authors
  1. R. K. B. Yadav
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anirudh Chandra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tejram Meena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. K. Divkar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vikas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Amod Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. R. N. Pujari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M. V. R. Narsaiah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Ravi Prabath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. K. B. Yadav .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Dinesh Kumar Aswal

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Yadav, R.K.B. et al. (2024). Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Response. In: Aswal, D.K. (eds) Handbook on Radiation Environment, Volume 1. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2795-7_18

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation