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Radiological & Environmental Impact Assessment

it is all about the Safety of People and the Environment…
… and how to Mitigate and Manage Risks and Cost.

Radiation Shielding, PTCOG58, 2019

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Obtaining Permits

Many new electron beam facility requires a radiological or environmental impact assessment. The details are typically spelled out in local regulations. The regulatory bodies may not be specialized in the type of facility you want to build and as a result may have special requirements that are not always written into the regulations. It is therefore very important to start the conversation with the regulatory body early in the project and with a proposal – not with questions.

Radiation Shielding

Every facility is unique in terms of the accelerator vendor’s technology, local regulations, beam orientation, production workload and other parameters. The radiation shielding design, even if initially proposed by the vendor, needs to be verified if it fits for the specific local requirements.

We provide shielding calculations using either line-of-sight analytical models (for instance according to DIN6847, DIN6812, NCRP144 or other local standards) or by Monte Carlo simulations.

Personnel Safety

Access to the radiation areas is a key concern. It must be safe and simple. Only simplicity of the procedures really ensure that nobody will try to bypass them. Meissner Consulting prepares procedures and specifies the access safety system and dose monitoring.

Personnel Safety

Access to the radiation areas is a key concern. It must be safe and simple. Only simplicity of the procedures really ensure that nobody will try to bypass them. Meissner Consulting prepares procedures and specifies the access safety system and dose monitoring.

Training plays a key role in personnel safety. The IAEA recommends recurrent training at least once a year and many regulating authorities have made this mandatory.
We provide customized radiation safety training in your facility.

Emissions & Environmental Aspects

Activation by prompt radiation of air, water and soil is a typical concern. An assessment on the impact of the release of any activated material is important not only to convince the regulatory body, but also the neighbors. As any facility is different, the assessment needs to consider the beam technology, workload, shielding, and ventilation systems of the specific facility. If monitoring is required, we can also provide cost effective solutions.

High power electron beam or X-ray facilities generate ozone and possibly other noxious gases. We provide an assement and mitigate the risk through calculation models, ventilation requirements and access safety system requirements.

Management of Activated Parts, Materials and Waste

Radioactivity may be generated when electron energies exceed a certain energy. ISO 11137 stipulates that additional verifications of induced radioactivity shall be performed if the X-ray energy exceeds 5 MeV and the electron beam energy exceeds 10 MeV. This radioactivity remains also when the beam is turned off.

While the induced radiactivity in medical products is typically neglibile, some accelerator parts may be activated above limits for handling without license. Regulatory requirements need to be fulfilled when these parts need maintenance or replacement during the life of your facility, or when some parts may need to be disposed of if they cannot be repaired and re-used.

We develop concepts for handling, receiving, shipping and disposing of radioactive parts, and resolve regulatory aspects.

Decommissioning Plan

Also building materials may be activated by the prompt radiation from the accelerated beam. Over time, the radioactivity will build up and may reach values that require a decommissioning concept. A wise choice of building materials and construction methods in the building design phase can significantly reduce the amount of radioactivity generated. Already in the permit application phase, the regulatory body often requires a decommisioning concept and adequate funds to be available at the end-of-life of the facility.
Our expertise will help to design the facility for easy decommissioning.

Risk and Cost Mitigation

Executive and project management experience, combined with our know-how by having designed the shielding layout for all Varian Particle Therapy projects, Meissner Consulting provides cost effective and safe solutions.

We enable beam performance with technical know-how and business acumen!