Safety_Series_041_1975 - gnssn - International Atomic Energy ...

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FOREWORD
Environm ental m onitoring is a very im portant com ponent of
the verifica tion system for dem onstrating that the con trols on the
re le a ses of radioactive substances to the environm ent under norm al
w orking conditions are functioning as intended. It is a lso used to
provide tim ely inform ation fo r d ecision s on any action that can be
taken to p rotect the public in the event of a la rg e r, acciden tal
rele a se.
T here has been uncertainty in the past on the type and scope of
the m onitoring program m es required fo r different types o f work
involving the use of radioactive m aterials. This often stem s from
the lack of a cle a r understanding of the ob jectiv es of an effective
m onitoring progra m m e. It can lead either to an inadequate system ,
w h ich fa ilsto give the n ecessa ry a ssu ran ce, o r to an overelaborate
system , which is wasteful of re sou rce s in m anpower and equipment.
F o r this reason the International A tom ic E nergy A gency and
the W orld Health Organization convened a panel of experts which
produced this manual of guidance fo r th eir M em ber States on the
ob jectiv es and design of environm ental m onitoring p rogram m es for
radioactive contam inants.
In preparing the manual, attention was given to the recom m en d a­
tions of the International C om m ission on R adiological P rotection ,
in p articu lar to those connected with environm ental m onitoring, and
to e a rlie r publications o f the IAEA and WHO on related top ics.
E xam ples of environm ental m onitoring program m es and of the
m ethods and techniques used have been provided by m em bers of the
panel fo r inclusion in the annexes to the manual.