Naslov
Total Risk Management for Low Dose Radiation Exposures

Autori
Šimić, Zdenko ; Mikuličić, Vladimir ; Šterc, Davor

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u zbornicima skupova, cjeloviti rad (in extenso), znanstveni

Izvornik
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids / Grgić, Davor ; Šimić, Zdenko ; Vuković Igor - Zagreb : Hrvatsko nuklearno društvo, 2012, S6-191.1

ISBN
978-953-55224-4-7

Skup
9th International Conference on Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids

Mjesto i datum
Zadar, Hrvatska, 03.06.2012. - 06.06.2012

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Risk Management; Low Dose Radiation

Sažetak
After more than century about radiation discovery, and half of that after successful fission application our civilisation has gone true maximal ups and downs regarding the nuclear energy. This significant relation is mainly connected to the fears from the ionising radiation. From the unfortunate experience it is clear that acute exposures are dangerous but they are very well prevented. Even most devastating accidents like Chernobyl had number of accuse casualties far below regular type of industry or civil accidents. It seems that fear from the risk of exposure to small doses of radiation then presents major source of recent unpopularity of nuclear energy. This fear has many sources, and only fraction is driven by the very conservative radiation protection measures created based on the linear no threshold hypothesis. While other sources of fear and opposition to the nuclear energy and other radiation applications (i.e., medicine and industry) have long history and complex social dimensions and therefore hard to tackle it seems that radiation protection reasoning should at least be adjusted to the different situations. This seems reasonable approach not just because there are significant scientific arguments which are proving that small doses of radiation are either not harmful as much as LNT approach is predicting or that there is even benefit from them. This paper presents reasoning based on the waste research and various experts opinion that event LNT hypotheses predicts small enough risks with very high levels of uncertainty that seems reasonable and for society beneficial to make different regulatory application depending on the situation. Highly conservative approach is completely suitable for operational environment where significant sources of radioactivity are contained and environment should be well protected. But in the situations where small doses of radioactivity are present (i.e., clean-ups, accidents, wide medical applications, possible terroristic threats) following strict regulation based on the LNT clearly present increase of risk for the affected people. This conclusion is based on the simple total risk accounting for all mentioned situations. Evacuating people for prolonged period and exposing them to fear and stress clearly induces far higher risks than even one predicted by LNT hypothesis. Not taking certain medical exam because of conservative risk estimate based on the LNT might result in real medical risk because of later diagnoses and worse treatment. Finally this over conservative radiation protection based on the LNT has its tremendous unnecessary resource price and if it is resulting in too small risk reduction or even inexistent one than same resources are missed at number of other sectors where society could benefit much more (i.e., medicine, traffic, food, etc.). Therefore this paper has found sufficient arguments to policy change for radiation protection because of major society benefits potential. There seems real need to exit situation where fear itself has most significant risk to the whole society.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Elektrotehnika

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