In accordance with legislative framework for regulatory system on setting of radioactive liquid and airborne discharge limits, which are adopted in the Russian Federation, this system equally covers both artificial radionuclides and the naturally occurring ones.
The pathways of exposure to ionizing radiation caused by discharges of the radionuclides of natural origin do not have any specificity compared with the impact of artificial radionuclides’ discharges. Nevertheless, to date, enforcement of the Russian regulatory system for setting of radioactive liquid and airborne discharge limits is carried out in relation to discharges of artificial radionuclides, released by facilities, which utilize atomic energy.
An overview of the practice of state regulation of radioactive discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides arised from activities of industrial facilities not utilizing atomic energy, which is adopted in the foreign countries and recommended by the IAEA, is provided.
The Russian system for setting of radioactive discharge limits is based on the same principles and criteria, that constitute the foreign systems for regulating naturally occurring radionuclides discharges, and which are recommended by the IAEA. The regulatory requirements of the Russian Federation regarding the regulation of radioactive discharges for the possibility of their application in relation to radioactive discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides are also considered in the article.
The regulatory and methodological basis for limiting of radioactive discharges, which is adopted in the Russian Federation, contains all the necessary legal mechanisms to be applied at industrial facilities, which do not utilize atomic energy, it is also based on the best practices and fully complies with IAEA standards.
Keywords: naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), airborne discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides, liquid discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides, environment, atmosphere, waterbody, regulation of radioactive discharges, limiting of radioactive discharges, industrial facilities.
Article language: Russian. Pp. 25–34. DOI: 10.26277/SECNRS.2021.98.4.003.
