Publications

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted pressing concerns regarding radiological protection and the need to enhance both operational and regulatory resilience during times of armed conflict. While the core principles of radiological protection remain sound, it is crucial for all nations to strengthen their plans and procedures to better manage emerging threats and increased uncertainty.

In response to these complex challenges, the NEA Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) co-hosted a workshop in Oslo from 22 to 24 November 2023. The workshop, titled “Radiological Protection During Armed Conflict”, gathered 130 experts from 28 countries, NGOs, and international organisations to share insights and explore strategies for enhancing the resilience of radiological protection (RP) in such volatile circumstances.

This report summarises the discussions and presentations, analysing the findings and proposals aimed at strengthening the international framework governing radiological protection during armed conflict.

A 2019 Norwegian research cruise to the sunken nuclear submarine Komsomolets has confirmed that radioactive releases from the reactor are still occurring. These releases have had little impact on the surrounding marine environment. The research cruise detected specific uranium and plutonium isotopes which suggest that the nuclear fuel assemblies have been damaged and that the nuclear fuel is in direct contact with seawater and deteriorating. Further work should be carried out to understand any corrosion processes and their implications.

Results from the 2019 Norwegian research cruise

The Norwegian government will:
- Work towards reducing radon levels in all types of building and premises to below the stated limits
- Contribute to reducing radon exposure in Norway as low as reasonably achievable.

The severe nuclear accident methodology is briefly described. The determination of radionuclide inventory in a reactor core and its release to the environment because of severe accident has been described for ACCIDENT and ORIGEN codes. The codes were applied to a hypothetical submarine accident and results were compared.