How IRSN monitoring benefits people and the environment

The protection of people and the environment constitutes an essential mission of IRSN, enshrined in the founding articles of the Institute. To this end, IRSN carried out a set of actions which draw on appropriate resources, such as the collection of environmental monitoring data by means of remote measurement networks and sampling, and the radiological monitoring of people by means of databases and computational tools using artificial intelligence. The Institute draws up on this basis periodic reports of the radiological exposure of the entire French population or of certain population categories (workers, patients, children, etc.) and makes these documents available to the public on its website.

In a context of increasingly widespread use of ionising radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, IRSN is committed to meeting society’s ever-increasing expectations in the field of healthcare, particularly through studies and expert appraisals of various potentially radiation-induced pathologies, such as cardiovascular disorders, cataracts, and cancers. This work provides the public authorities with a scientific basis for making technical, health or medical decisions to ensure the protection of both patients and healthcare professionals.

Finally, keen to encourage the public to take ownership of radiological monitoring and to develop a practical culture of radiation protection, IRSN involves the citizenry in environmental monitoring initiatives such as the Réseau national de mesures de la radioactivité de l’environnement (National network for radioactivity measurement in the environment). Taking this still further, the involvement of local stakeholders and of the populace is one of the objectives pursued by the “radiological site studies” (ERS). For IRSN this involves enabling citizens who so wish to get actively involved in the study program, contribute to its implementation, and take ownership of the concepts, issues and results.

SERVING PEOPLE

PATIENTS, WORKERS, THE GENERAL POPULACE: THE MONITORING ACTIONS PROVIDED BY IRSN AIM TO CAPITALISE ON PEOPLE’S EXPOSURE TO RADIOACTIVITY IN ORDER TO ALERT THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES IN THE EVENT OF AN ABNORMAL SITUATION. THIS MONITORING IS REFLECTED IN THE PERIODIC PUBLICATION OF EXPERT REPORTS, THE CONCLUSIONS OF WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE, IN CERTAIN CASES, TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS AIMED AT REDUCING EXPOSURE SITUATIONS. THE INSTITUTE CONTRIBUTES IN THIS WAY TO PUBLIC HEALTH.

Close monitoring of worker exposure

Since 2006, IRSN has published annually a report on the monitoring of workplace exposure to artificial or natural sources of ionising radiation. In accordance with the French Labour Code (articles R.4451-1 ff.), the report concerns all monitored workers in all sectors – civil and defense – involving ionising radiation sources: medical and veterinary activities, nuclear or non-nuclear industry, research and teaching, as well as workers likely to be exposed to natural radioactivity.
The monitoring concerns both external exposure and internal exposure by inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin.
The dosimetric information or exposure measurements are periodically transmitted by the accredited dosimetry laboratories or by airline companies where flight crews are concerned.
All this is centralised and saved in the SISERI information system, managed by IRSN at the request of the DGT (Direction générale du travail – Directorate-General for labour). Only the occupational physicians and radiation protection counsellors have access to any or all of the SISERI data concerning the workers under their charge. To guarantee the protection of the stored data, access to SISERI is nominative and delivered to an individual designated in advance by the employer.
Although the system has regularly evolved to incorporate regulatory changes and take account of user feedback, a major overhaul was undertaken in 2021, in particular to facilitate data entry and access to information, but also to eventually make the system interoperable with the related information systems of the Government or of private operators, such as certain laboratories that monitor external and/or internal exposure.
The new portal is designed to integrate functionalities using artificial intelligence tools, such as the automatic detection of potentially abnormal doses, taking into account the context of worker exposure. The overall work has drawn significantly on collaboration with the users, so as to best meet their expectations, for collaboration that is run by IRSN Lab, the Institute’s innovation laboratory.

387,452
WORKERS HAVE BEEN MONITORED FOR
THEIR EXPOSURE TO IONIZING RADIATION
AS A RESULT OF THEIR ACTIVITY IN 2020

MORE THAN 94^%
OF MONITORED WORKERS
RECEIVED AN ANNUAL DOSE
OF LESS THAN 1 mSv

REGULATORY ANNUAL LIMIT OF
20 mSv
EXCEEDED FOR SIX WORKERS
(FIVE IN 2019)

197,485
ROUTINE INTERNAL
EXPOSURE ANALYSES

Regulatory dose limits

Exposure limits measured
according to body area and
age of worker. The annual limits
applicable in France (article
R.4451- 6 of the Code of Labour)
are recapitulated below:

Entire body
(effective dose)

20 mSv
Worker

6 mSv
Young worker (16 – 18)

Ring and bracelet
(equivalent dose)

500 mSv
Worker

150 mSv
Young worker (16 – 18)

Eye lens
(equivalent dose)

20 mSv
Worker

15 mSv
Young worker (16 – 18)

Anne AUDIC
Vice Deputy Director, Sub-Directorate
for Working Conditions, Health and Safety
at Work, DGT (Direction générale du travail
– Directorate-General for labour)

IRSN provides technical and scientific support to the DGT in the field of ionising radiation, and in particular radiation protection for workers.

As well as the technical notices published, in particular in the framework of the drafting of regulatory texts, IRSN conducts long-term regulatory missions such as the management of SISERI, the production of the annual workers exposure report, and proficiency testing of accredited dosimetry laboratories. It also responds to specific referrals such as those on radon in agricultural cavities or tourist caves. There is therefore a great deal of interaction between us. Our collaboration with IRSN is characterised both by the level of its expertise and by the quality of our working relationship, which has enabled real progress to be made in the safety of workers, as testified by the recent regulatory reform aimed at improving worker protection. The wealth of expertise of IRSN, covering all the fields of radiation protection, is an important asset, as its positioning on the international bodies, which allows us to benefit from the undeniable advantage of international comparisons in matters of radiation protection. Yet above and beyond all that, its main asset resides in the skills, reactivity and availability of its teams.”

Medical imaging and exposure to ionising radiation

Among the categories of the population exposed to ionising radiation, IRSN periodically analyses the exposure of the French population to ionising radiation due to diagnostic medical imaging examinations, in line with the missions entrusted to it under the Public Health Code. Hence, the latest ExPRI report, published in late 2020, relates to the year 2017 and analyses the evolution of this exposure since 2012.

The proposed analysis is broken down per mode of imaging (conventional, interventional and dental radiology, CT scanning and nuclear medicine), by anatomical region explored, by age and by sex. The analysis is conducted based on procedures taken from a representative sample of health insurance beneficiaries.

The latest report concludes that exposure is globally well managed, thanks to improved skills in radiation protection by professionals and the improvement of the imaging systems, as well as awareness-raising actions that have been implemented. One point of vigilance does need to be underlined: this concerns the issue of recurrent examinations, in general on patients being monitored for serious pathologies. The question of potential long-term radiation-induced effects needs to be considered.

45.4^%
OF THE FRENCH POPULATION
UNDERWENT IN 2017
ONE OR MORE DIAGNOSTIC
PROCEDURES (43.8% IN 2012);
32.7% NON-DENTAL EXAMINATIONS

A GLOBALLY LOW ANNUAL
EFFECTIVE DOSE PER
INDIVIDUAL, STABILISED AT
1.53 mSv
(1.56 MSV IN 2012)

enfant passant un scanner et operatrice derriere la console

Laurence LOISEAU, medical electroradiology technician, behind the scanner console (in the foreground) prepares the acquisition of images of a child accompanied by his father (Armand Trousseau Hospital, Paris, France)

Diagnostic reference levels

To limit the exposure of patients to ionising radiation when undergoing examinations for diagnostic purposes or interventional procedures, “diagnostic reference levels” (DRL) have been established in the public health code for the most frequent and/or most irradiating procedures (X-rays, scans, etc.). These DRLs are established for standardised examinations and patient types and must not be exceeded without justification for everyday procedures. As part of its radiation protection for people remit, IRSN has been tasked with establishing these DRLs and regularly updating them on the basis of annual dosimetric assessments transmitted by the healthcare establishments. To support healthcare professionals, two experts specialised in medical physics can be reached by telephone or by email, and a dedicated website provides up-to-date information on the topic.
The latest report published in spring 2020 based on data transmitted to the Institute between 2016 and 2018 indicates a reduction in doses to the tune of 12% in scanning, 7% in radiology, and 3% in nuclear medicine.

Programmes aimed at epidemiological monitoring

In parallel to the radiological monitoring of the population as a whole, IRSN continues to monitor certain cohorts (children, practitioners, etc.) for epidemiological purposes. The acquired data is fed into studies conducted both nationally and on a European level.
This is the case for the COCCINELLE cohort, relating to 19,000 children who have undergone before the age of 16 an interventional cardiology procedure aimed at diagnosing and treating a cardiovascular disease. The objective of this cohort is to assess the risk of developing a solid tumour cancer or leukaemia associated with radiological exposure during childhood, a period of particular sensitivity to ionising radiation.
The “Enfant Scanner” (“Child Scan”) cohort, established by IRSN in collaboration with around 20 university hospital centres, comprises more than 100,000 children born after 1 January 1995 and who were exposed to a first scan between 2000 and 2011. This monitoring is being continued in order to provide sufficient statistical power to be able to confirm certain preliminary results suggesting an increased risk of certain cancers associated with the dosage.

For several years, IRSN has also been conducting a study, entitled O’CLOC, in conjunction with interventional cardiologists, on the risk of radiation-induced cataracts among this category of practitioner. The analysis of the results obtained, compared to those from a control group of nonexposed workers and who are comparable in terms of both age and clinical characteristics, has demonstrated a risk of posterior subcapsular cataracts that is almost 4 times higher among interventional cardiologists.

Exposure of the French population: what conclusions?

The reports on the French population’s exposure to ionising radiation published regularly by IRSN take into account exposure linked to ionising radiation of natural origin (cosmic and telluric radiation, radon and ingestion of natural radionuclides), medical imaging, atmospheric fallout from major accidents and nuclear weapons tests, as well as operating discharges from authorised nuclear activities. This analysis make it possible to obtain a global state of play and periodically measure the evolution of this exposure. The report published by IRSN covers the period 2014-2019.
It establishes that the average effective dose per inhabitant remains globally unchanged, at 4.5 mSv/year, compared to the previous edition, published in 2015 for the period 2008-2013. The study shows that the main sources of this exposure are medical procedures for diagnostic purposes (34%) and exposure to radon (33%). Next come telluric irradiation (14%), the incorporation of natural radionuclides (12%), cosmic radiation (7%) and, lastly, the industrial and military usage of radioactivity essentially linked to old fallout from atmospheric nuclear testing and the Chernobyl disaster (<1%). These constitute average values and may vary according to individual lifestyles and geographical locations.

To enable anyone to calculate their own exposure to radioactivity, both natural and artificial, IRSN has designed and made available an online calculation tool.

icone plus d'informations vers irsn.fr expop

Role of the medical physicist and use of DRLs at the Orléans Regional Hospital

Prof. Hubert DUCOU LE POINTE
Head of the radiology department,
Armand-Trousseau Children’s Hospital, Paris

As a radiologist specialised in paediatric imaging, I am heavily involved in the medical follow-up of young patients, and my diagnostic and interventional clinical activity has naturally led me to become actively involved in the field of radiation protection for patients. This therefore leads me to collaborate regularly with IRSN, concerning scientific studies on the exposure of children to ionising radiation, the drafting of information booklets, the results of the ExPRI reports, and the evolution of paediatric diagnostic reference levels. These diagnostic reference levels, or DRL, have become – for the most common procedures – a tool for analysis and optimisation of the practices, and their updating makes it possible to measure the technical progress made by the manufacturers and the optimisation work carried out by radiologists. Even if reducing the delivered doses in an examination is an essential objective, it must not under any circumstances be detrimental to the diagnostic performance of our examinations. Currently, the examinations that are subject to DRL are defined according to the techniques used and the anatomical zone. It is highly probable that the DRL values of these examinations will continue to evolve, but it will be vital to take into account the clinical indication. Lastly, a new dosimetric indicator has been introduced thanks to the DRL: the Diagnostic Guide Value (DGV). These values will allow radiologists to embark on a more demanding optimisation effort, since these values are only today available for adults, and it would be good if they could be proposed for paediatric examinations.”

Greater or lesser exposure to each source
Average exposure value with typical variation range

MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

1,5 mSv

Variation range: from 0 to 15 mSv

This is a primary source of artificial exposure. It depends on the type of examination (X-ray or scan) and the area of the body to be examined, as well as the number of procedures in the year. For the same person, the medical exposure can vary markedly from one year to the next.

Greater or lesser exposure to each source
Average exposure value with typical variation range

RADON GAS

1,5 mSv

Variation range: from 0.54 to 3.2 mSv

Radon gas emanates mainly from granitic and volcanic rocks. Exposure varies according to the characteristics of the soil, the building (materials, foundations, ventilation which may or may not facilitate the transfer of the gas) and the way of life (frequency of ventilation).

Greater or lesser exposure to each source
Average exposure value with typical variation range

RADIATION FROM THE SOIL

0,63 mSv

Variation range: from 0.36 to 1.1 mSv

Terrestrial (telluric) radiation depends on the nature of the soil. For example, the presence of granite, rich in radioactive elements, increases the effective dose. Other factors that cause exposure to vary are the time spent indoors and the building materials used.

Greater or lesser exposure to each source
Average exposure value with typical variation range

WATER, FOOD AND TOBACCO

0,55 mSv

Variation range: from 0.4 to 3.1 mSv

Food and the water in drinks naturally contain radioactive elements. Frequent consumers of fish and shellfish are more exposed to this sort of exposure, as are smokers.

Greater or lesser exposure to each source
Average exposure value with typical variation range

COSMIC RADIATION

0,32 mSv

Variation range: from 0.3 to 1.1 mSv

Cosmic radiation is caused by particles from the Sun and the galaxy bombarding the Earth. This most concerns people travelling frequently by air and inhabitants of high-altitude regions.

Greater or lesser exposure to each source
Average exposure value with typical variation range

INDUSTRIAL AND MILITARY NUCLEAR FACILITIES

0,012 mSv

Variation range: from 0.0093 to 0.046 mSv

This exposure is related to the fallout from old nuclear weapons tests and the Chernobyl accident. Nuclear power plants and installations have little impact on the exposure of the population: this ranges from 0.001 mSv/year in the environment close to industrial sites to 0.00011 mSv/year if we consider the entire French population.

Expertise in the service of public authorities and international bodies

To support the public authorities on questions linked to ionising radiation, IRSN is regularly called upon to conduct expert appraisals on the possible consequences of IR on human health.

The Institute thus recently published a report on image quality and delivered dose in digital mammography. The appraisal carried out for the DGS (Direction générale de la santé – Directorate-General for health) related to digital mammography facilities, in light of the observation by the National Cancer Institute of the non-uniformity of the detection rates of breast cancers depending on the systems used. Although the analysis did not bring to light any differences concerning the interpretation systems, it did nevertheless point to a clear disparity in the average doses likely to be delivered to the mammary gland, leading IRSN to recommend that the technical and clinical performance of certain systems should be scrutinised. By the same token, IRSN produced in 2018 an assessment of the French fleet of scanners and an analysis of the impact of the year of manufacture on the doses delivered to patients. The study observed that the average age of these scanners at the time of renewal is 6.1 years; that 83% of the scanners more than 10 years old are located in public establishments; and that the dose indices show a 20 to 30% reduction between scanners installed pre-2009 and those installed in 2015. The Institute therefore recommended that scanners aged more than 10 years old should be replaced as a priority and those that are less than 7 years old used in paediatrics.

Lastly, IRSN expertise can be called upon in France and abroad in cases of radiological incidents or irradiation requiring emergency medical treatment. For example, IRSN was called in to take emergency care of a South American worker severely exposed during contact with industrial radioactive sources. This recognition was formalised by the IAEA in 2021, with the designation of IRSN as an IAEA capacity-building centre in the field of medical management of radiological and nuclear emergencies.

KNOWING
THE RADIOLOGICAL STATUS
OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER
TO BETTER PROTECT IT

IRSN KEEPS A PERMANENT WATCH ON THE RADIOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ESSENTIAL FOR DETECTING ABNORMAL SITUATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THIS MONITORING, IRSN CONDUCTS STUDIES ON A REGIONAL SCALE AND, MORE RECENTLY, STUDIES CENTRED ON THE NEAR ENVIRONMENT AROUND NUCLEAR FACILITIES. IT IS ALSO CALLED UPON BY THE AUTHORITIES FOR BOTH PLANNED AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AT POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED SITES.

A network spanning the entire territory…

In order to determine the radioactivity in the air and detect any abnormal spikes, IRSN conducts permanent monitoring, using two complementary measurement networks that it manages: Téléray and OPERA-Air.

The Téléray network measures the ambient radioactivity. This is a real-time warning tool for events of a certain magnitude. The measurements are made using a set of 442 sensors spread throughout the country (mainland France and overseas departments/ territories), as well as in Tokyo and Kiev. They transmit their data to the remote monitoring room of the Institute, and this information is made public via the site www.teleray.irsn.fr. Téléray complements the radiological monitoring systems maintained by the nuclear operators and is intended to provide independent information on the ambient levels of radioactivity for the benefit of the public authorities, the elected officials, and the population.
The OPERA-Air network consists of constantly running aerosol samplers. They filter the ambient air and trap the dust that can then be analysed in the laboratory. In this way, the samples make it possible to obtain a precise measurement of the radioactivity fixed on the aerosols.
Unlike Téléray, the information provided by OPERA-Air enables the detection of low quantities of artificial radioactivity, but their analysis takes several days whereas, with Téléray, the information is known in real time.

To monitor the radioactivity in water, IRSN uses the Hydrotéléray network, which continuously measures the radioactivity of the main French rivers receiving waste discharge from nuclear power plants, upstream of the rivers’ estuaries or the point where they leave the country. In addition, a network of water samplers continuously samples the water and the materials in suspension in the waterways. These samplers are generally downstream of nuclear facilities and at the coastline. The IRSN water samplers are also equipped with settling tanks, for analysing the materials in suspension in the water. Lastly, continuous sampling of rainfall is also conducted, with monthly analysis in the proximity of nuclear sites. Away from these sites, rainwater is collected and analysed in the event of a radiological incident.

TÉLÉRAY : 457
INSTALLED SENSORS,
20 MILLION MEASUREMENTS
PER YEAR

25
AUTOMATIC GAMMA
SPECTROMETRY BEACONS
INSTALLED IN 2021
CLOSE TO NUCLEAR FACILITIES

OPERA-AIR:
SAMPLING STATIONS;
2 400
SAMPLES PER YEAR

HYDROTÉLÉRAY:
READINGS FROM
7
GAMMA SPECTROMETRY
MEASUREMENT STATIONS
INTEGRATED EVERY 2 HOURS

23
IRSN WATER SAMPLERS
AND 6 OPERATOR WATER
SAMPLERS WHOSE SAMPLES
ARE TRANSMITTED TO IRSN;
SAMPLING OVER A PERIOD
OF 6 DAYS AND MEASUREMENT
INTEGRATED OVER ONE MONTH

… and all environments

IRSN takes samples across the entire national territory: water, soil, fauna and flora (land or aquatic), and food. These samples are measured for the main artificial or natural radionuclides present in France. In this context, the Institute can draw upon a “network” of samplers – operators, local authorities, State services and public bodies – who transmit the samples to IRSN for treatment and analysis.
Lastly, IRSN conducts an annual sampling and analysis campaign for foodstuffs produced and consumed in French Polynesia, thereby contributing to the assessment of the exposure of those residing in the various archipelagos. The sampling strategy chosen enables determination of people’s exposure by external exposure, inhalation and ingestion.

Measurement of cosmic radiation carried out as part of the science project Citizens Cosmic on air on a flight from Paris to Seoul with the connected OpenRadiation kit to the OpenRadiation app

Jean-François BOTTOLIER-DEPOIS
Vice-director of healthcare,
IRSN health and environment division

OpenRadiation was conceived after the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, with the development of apps for the general public on smartphones for measuring radioactivity.
It is a participatory project with an educational goal, making available to the public a tool for measuring radioactivity in the environment. The project began in 2013 with the involvement of IFFO-RME, IRSN, PLANETE SCIENCES and SORBONNE UNIVERSITE, then to be joined by ANCCLI. After the development of the system – database, website, app with connected dosimeter – the site was brought into service in late 2017.
It today accounts for more than 300,000 recorded measurements made by some 250 contributors. Other actions have been undertaken, and we are working in particular on the use of these data in the Institute’s crisis management, to complement the existing field data, in near real-time. Lastly, users have played their part in the overhaul of the site, and their requests will be included in the new version.”

Diane Cuzzucoli
Monitoring and inspection plans coordinator,
DGAL (Direction générale de l’alimentation – National Food Directorate

Collaboration between IRSN and the DGAL concerns the radiological monitoring of the territory, in the framework of the radionuclides monitoring plan that we implement with the support of the Institute, which for its part carries out the environmental analyses and sampling, including on foodstuffs. Recently we called upon the expertise of the Institute to look into the conditions imposed by the European Commission on the import of foodstuffs and animal feed originating in or coming out of Japan following the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The high level scientific and technical expertise of IRSN as a risk assessor for the food chain is a precious asset for our services. The Institute is the benchmark national laboratory for the analysis of radionuclides in food. It also supports us in crisis situations by taking samples for monitoring the situation nationwide and by modelling the contamination of agricultural production.”

Protecting sewage system personnel

Because they may be exposed to radioactive effluent discharged from medical laboratories or the nuclear medicine departments of hospitals, sewage system workers and those tasked with the spreading of sludge resulting from wastewater treatment can benefit from a new calculation tool, developed and put online by IRSN in 2019, for estimating the impact of this effluent on their health. Designated CIDRRE, this digital template is accessible to all those concerned and provides dose estimates for the different workstations.

Information and transparency

Created in 2003, the RNM (Réseau national de mesure de la radioactivité – National radioactivity measurement network) is managed by IRSN. It is tasked with centralising the information about the radiological status of the environment in all its components – air, water, soil, fauna, flora and food products — and making the information available to everyone. The network of course includes IRSN, the ASN and the ASND, but also the State services, health agencies, public institutes, the nuclear industry, qualified individuals, and consumer and environmental protection associations. Since 2010, all data can be accessed from the website www.mesure-radioactivite.fr.
66 contributors (in 2016) transmitted environmental radioactivity measurements to the national network. An average of 25,000 measurements are transmitted each month.

Partners

A key element in the management of emergency nuclear or radiological situations, assessment of the accidental atmospheric discharges helps in producing a better assessment of the consequences on the environment and the population. This is the context within which IRSN and Météo France pool their scientific and technical expertise: exchanging meteorological and radiological data and services in the framework of the radiological monitoring of the environment; study and research programmes on extreme climatic hazards or atmospheric dispersion models; integration of radiological monitoring equipment on the various Météo-France sites, and so on.
This partnership was renewed in 2019.

Better characterisation of the territories

In order to obtain an inventory of the radioactivity across the territory, IRSN conducts studies referred to as “regional radiological observations” which each cover part of the national territory and which culminate in the production of reference documents. Regularly updated, these documents report on the radiological “background noise” (natural radioactivity and residual radioactivity from old fallout such as from nuclear weapons testing or the accident at Chernobyl) and on the influence of nuclear facility discharges in the geographical zone concerned. These observations, produced according to the specific features of each of them, would serve as a basis of comparison in the event of an accidental discharge, and they contribute in this way to guiding the deployment of reinforced monitoring. These studies complement the regular monitoring of radioactivity in the French environment, the results of which are centralised by the National metrological network for environmental radioactivity (RNM).

Having covered the whole of France with these regional observations, the Institute wished to deepen its scientific knowledge of the environment close to nuclear facilities by studying more particularly the influence of a power plant such as the one at Saint Alban (Isère), the first installation to have been the subject of a radiological site study on its environment as well as on the exposure of the neighbouring population to its discharges.

Monitoring the radiological status of the French environment

It is on the basis of monitoring data centralised by the National metrological network for environmental radioactivity (RNM) that the Institute regularly publishes its Report on the radiological monitoring of the environment in France. This document analyses the measurement results in order to report, in complete transparency, on the radioactivity levels in the French environment, whether or not in proximity to nuclear facilities, and to estimate the exposure of the population. This report therefore provides the most global overview possible of all radioactivity measurements made in the environment by the various stakeholders concerned. The latest report was published in 2018 and relates to the period 2015-2017. The results presented put the data acquired during this period into perspective in relation to the data from previous years.

Understanding radon better

Radon, a radioactive gas of natural origin, represents a third of the average exposure of the French population to ionising radiation. It is present across the entire surface of the planet at variable concentrations from one region to the next. Issuing from the disintegration of the uranium and radium naturally present in the earth and in rocks, radon is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a certain carcinogenic for the lungs. It is considered to be the second cause of lung cancer in France, behind smoking and ahead of asbestos, and as such is the subject of vigilance on the part of the public authorities.
Knowledge of the geological characteristics of the territory therefore makes it possible to establish a map of the zones in which the presence of radon at high concentrations in buildings is most probable. IRSN has therefore produced, at the request of the ASN, a national map as well as departmental and regional maps of the radon potential in the geological formations. This mapping constitutes a technical basis for guiding the implementation of a risk management policy linked to this gas, since it enables targeting of the zones in which its presence in homes at high concentrations is most probable. At municipal level, the mapping enables priorities to be defined for radon detection.

300,000
MEASUREMENTS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY IN FRANCE BY THE STATE SERVICES AND PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS, BY NUCLEAR FACILITY OPERATORS, AND BY OTHER PUBLIC, PRIVATE OR ASSOCIATIVE STAKEHOLDERS

In Brief

As part of its remit to inform the general public, IRSN has developed an application, Radon & Radioactivity, which can be used to estimate the exposure level to ionising radiation, of cosmic or telluric origin, linked to radon, to the consumption of foodstuffs, or to medical procedures. It also specifies the risk potential linked to radon according to where you live. It is available on Android and (since September 2021) for iPhone.

The three stages in producing a radiological report

DEFINING THE METHODOLOGY

Examining existing data

Geographical and radio-ecological data
Location of sampling zones
Levels of radioactivity

Sampling strategy

Choice of samples and locations of additional sampling
Sources of radionuclides searched for
Planning and local contacts

The three stages in producing a radiological report

SAMPLINGS AND ANALYSES

On-site sampling campaigns
Treatment of samples
Metrology

The three stages in producing a radiological report

BRIEFING ON THE RADIOLOGICAL
STATUS OF THE TERRITORY STUDIED

Results review
Analysis and summary of the measurement results
Drafting of the study

How IRSN monitoring benefits people and the environment

SERVING PEOPLE

Close monitoring of worker exposure

Medical imaging and exposure to ionising radiation

Diagnostic reference levels

Programmes aimed at epidemiological monitoring

Exposure of the French population: what conclusions?

Expertise in the service of public authorities and international bodies

KNOWING THE RADIOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO BETTER PROTECT IT

A network spanning the entire territory…

… and all environments

Protecting sewage system personnel

Information and transparency

Partners

Better characterisation of the territories

Monitoring the radiological status of the French environment

Understanding radon better

KNOWING
THE RADIOLOGICAL STATUS
OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER
TO BETTER PROTECT IT