STRATEGY OF DEVELOPMENT OF RADON PLAN IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Regional Training Workshop on Developing and Implementing National Programmes for Control of Public Exposure to Radon, Sofia, Bulgaria, 13 – 17 October 2014 SERGHEI VIRLAN – Ph.D. student of the National Center for Public Health
RAP – 1 st phase – First assessment of the radon risk in the country Government / Authorities / Legislation Radon and other relevant data Communication / Awareness Building sector - Research / Studies Competent authorities in Republic of In the Republic of Moldova, radon is a At the place of measurements we Unfortunately, in the present, in the Moldova that perform the problems major public health threat as well as inform population about the actuality of construction sector there is not a related to population exposure to radon worldwide. Population exposure to this the problem, purpose of the permanent monitoring of radon risk: risk increases if the population is poorly measurements and give some advices concentrations at different stages: - The Government informed and if there are not complex for reducing the risk if it is increased. choosing the land for building houses - The Ministry of Health data (mapping of the country). and finalizing buildings. The - National Agency for Regulation In this moment, measurements are made in Government should involve through of Nuclear and Radiological order to determine the concentration of regulatory bodies to create favorable Activities radon in different housing types to confirm conditions for monitoring. - National Center for Public or infirm the actuality problem of public Health health. Until 2006 there were attempts to The legislation: measure radon concentration in - The law on the safe deployment occupational and indoor environmental of nuclear and radiological factors, but there are insufficient data to activities no.132, June 8, 2012 draw a conclusion. - The law on State Supervision of Public Health no. 10-XVI of 03.02.2009 - The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova Since 2011 I started the activity of Regulatory bodies that should approve The measurement protocol must measuring radon concentration in various and publish long-term measurements include: the date, place, address, time environmental factors such as exhalations protocol there are: of measurement and general from the soil, the well water and indoor air informations about the building and - The Government of the Republic at the National Center for Public Health, used finish materials. of Moldova The Scientific Laboratory of Hygiene - The National Agency for Radiation. We want to develop a plan for Regulation of Nuclear and making long-term measurements in order Radiological Activities to determine exactly the situation in the - The Ministry of Health country. We plan taking measurements of indoor air in all country (including kindergartens and schools).
The samples of air collected from the underground wine storages, underground galleries and extracting minerals mines have detected high levels of radon concentration (200 ... 1800 Bq / m 3), which overcome the maximum allowable terms. This fact requires the need of dynamic monitoring and further maps elaboration of Rn222 concentrations in our country. A long –term study for radon concentrations monitoring, inclusive lands for buildings is necessary to elaborate, according to national and international normative recommendations. It is very important to mention that uranium mines should be a permanent concern of labor protection. An urgent elaboration of specific radioprotection standards for these employments is necessary and supervision of professionally exposed. If the level of radon concentration is dangerous for public health, the government is obliged "to ensure the suitable action plan that includes coordinated actions to reduce radon ingress in existing buildings and that that will be built in the future."
In a normal way, such a plan is implemented by the national authority and should include the following components: 1. Establishing of a reference level (the allowable limit) appropriate for homes and other buildings with a large number of people; 2. Establishing of a reference level for workplaces such as offices and factories; 3. Identifying of areas susceptible to high levels of radon; 4. Giving priority to reducing of radon concentrations in specific cases where such an action is efficient; 5. Including in construction projects the measures for reducing the radon exposure in order to prevent the radon entrance indoor; 6. Implementation of control measures and prevention of radon exposure, including the determination of circumstances in which these measures will be mandatory or voluntary, and 7. Assessment of the success of the plan.
Define the three main obstacles: 1. The lack of a database relating to concentration of radon in homes, If it is the government will have the possibility to intervene. 2. Equipping at national level with enough performance switchgear and controlgear (alpha traces detectors - the passive method). 3. Lack of well trained staff in the radon problem. The possible ways to solve these barriers: 1. Making measurements of radon concentration in indoor air in order to create a database on the types of building. Cooperation of all responsible regulatory bodies for higher efficiency of expected result. 2. Identifying of financial resources needed to the purchase of specialized laboratories’ equipment. 3. The recruitment of staff, motivation and continuous training at specialized courses in the radon problem.
The equipment we work with at present in the Republic of Moldova
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