PIANOFORTE Partnership for European research in radiation protection and detection of ionising radiation: towards a safer use and improved protection of the environment and human health (2022-2027).

Objective: The ambition of the PIANOFORTE Association is to improve the radiological protection of members of the public, patients, workers, and the environment in all scenarios of exposure to ionising radiation and to provide solutions and recommendations for optimized protection in accordance with the basic standards of security. Research projects focusing on the identified research and innovation priorities will be selected in a series of three competitive open calls, promoting excellence in science and broadening participation through a process open to the entire radiation protection community.

Participants: Coordinated by the IRSN, France. It has 58 organizations from 22 countries of the European Union, in addition to Norway and the United Kingdom. Among the participants are the six European radiological protection research platforms (MELODI, EURADOS, EURAMED, NERIS, ALLIANCE and SHARE).

Researchers of the Unit:  A. Real (IP), M. Montero

CIEMAT participation:  The CIEMAT has been appointed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation "Program Manager" of Spain in PIANOFORTE. In addition, the CIEMAT will participate in the following work packages: (1) WP1: Coordination and management; (2) WP2: Research and innovation projects, leading sub-task 2.1.2. Evaluation of the prioritization process; (3) WP3 Stakeholder Engagement, Leading Task 3.3 Stakeholder Engagement Planning and Management; (4) WP5 Infrastructure and data management for radiological protection research; (5) WP6 Knowledge management, communication, dissemination and impact creation, leading sub-task 6.1.2 Internal communication plan.

Three Units of the CIEMAT Environment Department will participate: Unit for Radiological Protection of the Public and the Environment; Radiation Dosimetry Unit and Center for Socio-technical Research Center (CISOT).

Financing entity: EURATOM-CE. Horizon-Europe Program. Call HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-09.

 Reference: PIANOFORTE Grant Agreement Nº101061037

Radiological Impact Assessment Regulation (2021-2023)

Objective: To define regulatory criteria for the radiation protection of the environment and develop methodologies that allow for a comprehensive radiological impact assessment of nuclear and radioactive facilities in our biogeographical area media.

Participants: University of Extremadura and CIEMAT

Researchers of the Unit: A. Real, D, Pérez, A. Escribano

CIEMAT participation: The Unit participates in the following activities: (1) Exhaustive bibliographic review of the relevant information on environmental impact assessment, to guarantee a priori adequate radiological protection of the environment. (2) Identification of typical environmental sites. (3) Methodological developments. (4) Verification of methodological developments: Case studies and (5) Define regulatory criteria and propose a methodology for environmental radiological impact assessment.

Funding entity: Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and CIEMAT

RADON-BUILD Radon exhalation in building materials; radiological impact and corrective actions (2021-2023)

Objective: To develop a robust and reliable methodology for the measurement of radon exhalation rate in building materials and building elements in order to obtain a national inventory. Based on these data, predictive models for radon concentration in buildings made of various materials will be developed and validated.

Participants: Huelva University and CIEMAT

Researchers of the Unit: A. Dvorzhak

CIEMAT participation: The Unit will develop a predictive model of indoor radon concentration due to radon exhalation from building materials, without considering the soil under the building. The model will estimate radon concentration taking into account the characteristics of the building materials, the coverage factor, the dynamic meteorological parameters, the ventilation rate, and the exchange with outside air. For this purpose, measurement data from the University of Huelva will be used. The model will be validated in a prototype house, at a laboratory scale, which will be built by the University of Huelva.

Funding entity: Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and CIEMAT.

RadoNorm Towards effective radiation protection based on improved scientific evidence and social considerations - focus on radon and NORM (2020-2025)

Objective: Improve the radiation protection of workers and the public against the possible effects of radon gas and the wastes from an industrial process that increase exposure to natural radionuclides (NORM), by reducing scientific, technical, and social uncertainties.

Participants: 56 organizations from 20 Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland

Researchers of the Unit:  A. Real (IP), J.C. Mora, A. Dvorzhak, D. Pérez, A. Escribano

CIEMAT participation: The Unit participates in Work Package 2 “Exposure” which objective is to better characterize the exposures to radon and NORMs received by humans (public and workers) and biota. For this, 8 defined tasks will be carried out to fill the knowledge gaps identified in previous European projects (such as TERRITORIES) and documented as research priorities in the Strategic Research Agenda of European Radiation Protection Platforms, as well as to facilitate the implementation of the Directive 2013/59 / EURATOM of the European Council.

Financing entity: EC-EURATOM Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection Research Programme (NFRP-2019-2020-12). Horizon 2020

Reference: RadoNorm- Grant Agreement Nº900009

The code CROM (Código de Criba para la Evaluación de Impacto) has currently 3 stable versions and one under development.

CROM 6 performs deterministic calculations of doses to the public and concentrations in the environment, due to routine discharges of radionuclides from nuclear and radioactive installations, using the models included in the guide IAEA SRS 19.

CROM 7 additionally performs calculations of the uncertainty of the results associated with the various parameters included in the models used for dispersion, transfer of the activity and dose calculations. It uses Monte Carlo methods with probability distributions frequently found in nature.

CROM 8 integrates, for the first time, the protection of humans and biota in a single tool. All this continuing with the same structure that was developed in CROM 7, including the uncertainty calculations of the results.

These three versions can be downloaded from the CIEMAT ftp server  ftp://ftp.ciemat.es/pub/CROM.

OP-CROM is a new development based in open source, using the same models of the SRS19 and philosophy of CROM 7 and CROM8, but allowing greater flexibility for the calculations and for the use of different models. CROMERICA was developed within OP-CROM, as a web-based tool for the protection of human beings and biota in an integrated manner, similarly to CROM 8. CROMERICA can be used from the web http://cromerica.ciemat.es/
OP-CROM is continually developing at the moment, so it cannot be considered stable, but a product R & D  (ftp://ftp.ciemat.es/; http://cromerica.ciemat.es/).

RADOMOD: Study of the generation and migration processes of the RADon gas in the ambient environment and MODelling of its indoor concentration (2017- ).

Objective: To study the processes of generation and migration of radon gas in the environment and its accumulation and elimination in buildings. Develop a model for the prediction of concentrations of radon gas in buildings and subsequently estimate the risk to the health of its inhabitants. Using MATLAB a first version of the INDORAD model ((INDOor RAdon Dynamic model) has been developed, being a dynamic model based on differential equations system, considering the main characteristics of the soil and the building as well as dynamics of meteorological magnitudes such as temperature, pressure, rainfall, humidity. All the radon entry routes are taken into account: soil, construction materials, water, and natural gas. The model will be verified and validated using measurements of radon concentrations in real cases.

Researchers of the Unit: A. Dvorzhak (PI), J.C. Mora, A. Real

EJP-CONCERT European Joint Programme for the Integration of Radiation Protection Research (2015-2020).

Objective: To contribute to the sustainable integration of European and national research programs in the field of radiation protection. The project coordinates and promotes, in a multidisciplinary and transnational context, the R&D activities, the infrastructures, and the education and training initiatives in radiation protection.

Participants: 32 organizations from 22 Member States, and Norway.

Researchers of the Unit: A. Real (IP) y M. Montero

CIEMAT participation: CIEMAT appointed "Programmer Manager" in the EJP-CONCERT by the Spanish Ministry (MINECO), is a member of the Management Board. It also participates in WP 1: Management and Administration; WP 2: Integration and Strategic Research Agenda Development in Radiation Protection Research; WP 3: Priority Research and Joint Programming Needs in the Perspective of European Integration; WP 5: Stakeholder Involvement and Communication of Scientific Evidence and Radiation Protection Research; WP 6: Access to Research Infrastructure; WP 7: Education and Training.

Financing entity: EC-Euratom Research and Training Programme 2014-2018. Horizon 2020           

Reference: CONCERT- Grant Agreement Nº 662287

http://www.concert-h2020.eu/en

TERRITORIES: To Enhance unceRtainties Reduction and stakeholders Involvement TOwards integrated and graded Risk management of humans and wildlife In long-lasting radiological Exposure Situations (2017-2019).

Objective: To build a methodological approach to reduce uncertainties to a fit-for-purpose level in support of the decision making process by encompassing stakeholder involvement to assess and manage, in a graded way, (effective and absorbed) doses associated to long-lasting exposure situations of both human and wildlife populations. This will be achieved by: (i) targeting harmonized guidance at the European level, (ii) being unified, i.e. applicable to all types of long-lasting exposure situations, (iii) being made available to those in charge of making decisions, and (iv) considering all relevant sources of uncertainty.

Participants: IRSN (France, Coordinator) ; BfS (Germany); CEPN (France); CIEMAT (Spain);  NMBU (Norway); NRPA (Norway); PHE (United Kingdom); SCK•CEN (Belgium); STUK (Finland); UT (Estonia); Mutadis (France).

Researchers of the Unit: J.C. Mora (IP), A. Dvorzhak, D. Pérez, A. Real.

CIEMAT participation: WP1: Quantifying variability and reducing uncertainties when characterizing exposure of humans and wildlife by making the best use of data from monitoring and of existing models; WP3: Stakeholder engagement for a better management of uncertainty in risk assessment and decision-making processes including remediation strategies; WP4: Strategic and integrated communication, education and training; WP5: Project coordination and management.

Coordination: WP1, J.C. Mora

Financing entity:  EC-Euratom Research and Training Programme 2014-2018. Horizon 2020            

Reference: CONCERT Grant agreement Nº 662287

https://territories.eu/

https://territoriesweb.wordpress.com/

CONFIDENCE: COping with uNcertainties For Improved modelling and DEcision making in Nuclear emergenCiEs (2017-2019)

Objective: Understand and reduce uncertainties associated to the radiological emergencies management and to the long-term rehabilitation of areas affected by a nuclear or radiological accident. CONFIDENCE focuses on the early and transitional phases of an emergency, although decisions for the long term during these phases are also considered.

Participants: Karlsruher Institut Fuer Technologie (KIT, Alemania) (Coordinator) and other 31 European institutions and research centres.

Researchers of the Unit: M. Montero (PI), J.C. Mora, D. Pérez-Sánchez, A. Real.

CIEMAT participation: WP3: Radioecological modelling: fit for purpose; WP4: Transition to long-term recovery, involving stakeholders in decision-making processes; WP5: Social, ethical and communicational aspects of uncertainty management; WP7: Education and training Y WP8: Management.

Coordination: WP4, M. Montero.

Financing entity: EC-Euratom Research and Training Programme 2014-2018. Horizon 2020  

Reference: CONCERT Grant agreement Nº 662287.

https://portal.iket.kit.edu/CONFIDENCE/index.php?action=confidence&title=objectives

http://projects.ciemat.es/web/confidence-wp4/

MODARIA-II (Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments). The Programme will run for 3 years from 2016 to 2019, and comprises seven Working Groups (WG):

• WG 1 - Assessment and Decision Making of Existing Exposure Situations for NORM and Nuclear Legacy Sites.
• WG 2 - Assessment of Exposures and Countermeasures in Urban Environments.
• WG 3 - Assessments and Control of Exposures to the Public and Biota for Planned Releases to the Environment.
• WG 4 - Transfer Processes and Data for Radiological Impact Assessment.
• WG 5 - Exposure and Effects to Biota.
• WG 6 - Biosphere Modelling for Long Term Safety Assessments of High Level Waste Disposal Facilities.
• WG 7 - Assessment of Fate and Transport of Radionuclides Released in the Marine Environment.

Objective: The overarching objective of the IAEA’s activities in environmental modelling is to enhance the capabilities of Member States to simulate radionuclide transfer in the environment and, thereby, to assess exposure levels of the public and in the environment in order to ensure an appropriate level of protection from the effects of ionizing radiation, associated with radionuclide releases and from existing radionuclides in the environment.

Researchers of the Unit: J.C. Mora, D. Pérez, A. Real.

CIEMAT participation: WG1, WG5 and WG6.

Coordination: WG3, J.C. Mora

http://www-ns.iaea.org/projects/modaria/modaria2.asp?s=8&l=129

COMET COordination and iMplementation of a pan-European instrumenT for radioecology (2013-2017)

Objective: To strength the pan-European research initiative on the impact of radiation on man and the environment by facilitating the integration of radioecological research.

Participants: SCK-CEN (Belgium, Coordinator); BfS (Germany); CIEMAT (Spain); IRSN (France); STUK (Finland); SU (Sweden); NRPA y NMBU (Norway); NERC (United Kingdom); GIG (Poland); UIAR y Chernobyl Centre (Ukraine); U. Fukushima (Japan).

Researchers of the Unit: A. Real (IP); J.C. Mora; M. Montero;

CIEMAT participation: WP 1: Project Management and Coordination; WP 2: Joint Programming and Implementation: Expanding ALLIANCE; WP 3: Improving and validating radioecological models; WP 5: Knowledge exchange.

Coordination: Task 2.3 (Infrastructures – evolving from STAR to the ALLIANCE) J.C. Mora; Task 2.4 (Co-ordination with national programmes) A. Real; Task 3.3 (Innovative research execution) J.C. Mora; Task 5.1 (Website and knowledge management) A. Real.

Financing entity: 7th Framework Programme, EURATOM-EC

Reference: Grant Agreement 604974. FP7 Fission-2013

https://radioecology-exchange.org/content/comet

PREPARE: Innovative integrated tools and platforms for radiological emergency preparedness and post-accident response in Europe (2013-2016)

Objective: Closing gaps that had been identified in nuclear and radiological preparedness following the first evaluation of the Fukushima disaster. Among others, the project addressed the review of existing operational procedures for dealing with long-lasting releases, cross border problems in monitoring and food safety and further developed missing functionalities in decision support systems ranging from improved source term estimation and dispersion modelling to the inclusion of hydrological pathways for European water bodies. In addition, as the management of the Fukushima event in Europe was far from optimal, a so called  Analytical Platform has been developed exploring the scientific and operational means to improve information collection, information exchange and the evaluation of such types of disasters. 

Participants: Karlsruher Institut Fuer Technologie (KIT, Germany) (Coordinator) and 45 other European institutions and research centres (24 research organizations, 13 government emergency management organizations, 8 SMEs, 1 industry participant, (20 countries))

Researchers of the Unit: M. Montero (IP), A. Dvorzhak, C. Trueba

CIEMAT participation: WP1. Review of emergency preparedness for long-lasting releases; WP2. Information Platform";  WP2.2: "Operational procedures; WP3. Consumer Goods, with the preparation of a national panel (PRPyMA and CISOT); WP5. Extension of aquatic dispersion and consequences modelling in Decision Support Systems, on the basis of recent experiences and technological advances (Tarea 5.4)

Coordination: KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FUER TECHNOLOGIE (KIT), Alemania

Financing entity: FP7-EURATOM-FISSION

Reference: Grant Agreement 323287. FP7 Fission-2012

https://prepare-eu.org/index.php

ERIBIO Evaluaciones de riesgo en la biota derivados de la exposición a radiaciones ionizantes (Radiological Risk Assessments in biota) (2012-2015)

Objective: To know the potential risks for biota derived from exposure to ionising radiation, in real scenarios of national interest. Apply a combined tool for the evaluation of the radiological impact on humans and biota. Contribute to the development of an approach for the radiological protection of the environment

Participants: CIEMAT and ENRESA (Empresa Nacional de Residuos S.A.).

Researchers of the Unit: A. Real (IP); J.C. Mora; D. Pérez-Sánchez

Financing entity: ENRESA and CIEMAT

Reference: Adjudication Code 0079000176

MODAS: Desarrollos para las evaluaciones de impacto radiológico ambiental en la gestión de materiales y residuos radiactivos (2012-2015)

Objective: Analyse in detail and improve the methodology used in Spain for the evaluation of the environmental radiological impact that is part of the security assessment studies in the management of radioactive waste. For this, it is necessary to update the methodology using the new international criteria and practices, as well as to develop more realistic mathematical models to evaluate the transport of radionuclides in the environment.

Participants: CIEMAT and ENRESA (Empresa Nacional de Residuos S.A.).

Researchers of the Unit: D. Pérez-Sánchez (IP), B. Robles, J.C. Mora; A. Real

Financing entity: ENRESA and CIEMAT

Reference: Adjudication Code 0079000176

NORMIMA: NORM: Industrias y Materiales

Objective: The various aspects related to the monitoring of the NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials), both nationally and internationally, were developed within the APRA project. However, the regulatory developments that have occurred make it advisable to expand the scope of these situations. The aim is to cover those aspects where the experience of our group can help to solve or minimize the problems in which NORM materials are involved and which may eventually affect in some way the activities carried out by ENRESA.

Participants: CIEMAT and ENRESA (Empresa Nacional de Residuos S.A.).

Researchers of the Unit: J.C. Mora (IP), B. Robles, C. Trueba, D. Pérez-Sánchez

Financing entity: ENRESA and CIEMAT

Reference: Adjudication Code 0079000176

MODARIA (Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments). The Programme ran for 4 years from 2012 to 2015, and comprised ten Working Groups (WG), on four main topics:

Remediation of Contaminated Areas:
- WG 1. Remediation strategies and decision aiding techniques
- WG 2. Exposures in contaminated urban environments and effect of remedial measures
- WG 3. Application of models for assessing radiological impacts arising from NORM and radioactively contaminated legacy sites to support the management of remediation

Uncertainties and Variability:
- WG 4. Analysis of radioecological data in IAEA Technical Reports Series publications to identify key radionuclides and associated parameter values for human and wildlife exposure assessment
- WG 5. Uncertainty and variability analysis for assessments of radiological impacts arising from routine discharges of radionuclides
- WG 6. Common framework for addressing environmental change in long term safety assessments of radioactive waste disposal facilities
- WG7. Harmonization and intercomparison of models for accidental tritium releases

Exposures and Effects on Biota:
- WG 8. Biota modelling: Further development of transfer and exposure models and application to scenarios
- WG 9. Models for assessing radiation effects on populations of wildlife species

Marine Modelling:
- WG 10. Modelling of marine dispersion and transfer of radionuclides accidentally released from land-based facilities.

Objective: To continue the IAEA’s activities in the application of models to assess exposures to humans and radiological impacts on the environment.

Researchers of the Unit: J.C. Mora, D. Pérez, A. Real.

CIEMAT participation: WG3, WG6, WG8 and WG9.

Coordination: WG5 (Juan Carlos Mora)

http://www-ns.iaea.org/projects/modaria/

STAR Strategy for Allied Radioecology (2011-2015)

Objective: The goal was to efficiently integrate important organisations, infrastructures, and research efforts into a sustainable network that contributes to a European Research Area in radioecology. To achieve this, a Joint Programme of Activities was implemented covering integration and sharing of infrastructures; training, education, and mobility; knowledge management and dissemination; as well as three key research themes (integrating human and non-human radiological risk assessments; radiation protection in a multi-contaminant context; ecologically relevant low-dose effects).

Participants: IRSN (France, Coordinator); BfS (Germany); CIEMAT (Spain); STUK (Finland); SCK-CEN (Belgium); SU (Sweden); NRPA y NMBU (Norway); NERC (United Kingdom).

Researchers of the Unit: A. Real (IP); J.C. Mora

CIEMAT participation: WP 1: Network Coordination; WP 2: Integration and Infrastructure; WP 3: Integrated Human and Non-human Radiation Protection; WP 4: Radiation Protection in a Mixed Contaminant Context; WP 5: Ecologically Relevant Low Dose Effects; WP 6: Mobility, Training and Education; WP 7: Knowledge and Data Dissemination.

Financing entity: 7th Framework Programme, EURATOM-EC

Reference: Contract Number: Fission-2010-3.5.1-269672

https://radioecology-exchange.org/content/star

EVATERM: Evaluación de impacto radiológico de las centrales térmicas de carbón españolas (2011-2013)

Objective: Carry out the evaluation of the radiological impact on workers and members of the public for the Spanish thermal power plants.

Participants: CIEMAT and UNESA (Asociación Española de la Industria Eléctrica)

Researchers of the Unit: J.C. Mora (IP), B. Robles, C. Trueba, D. Pérez-Sánchez

Financing entity: UNESA

Reference:  Agreement 3585/2011