Radionuclides are discharged into the environment from a variety of nuclear and radiation facilities, potentially causing harmful effects on human health and the environment. If discharges are likely to result in adverse radiological effects, they must be evaluated in accordance with regulatory requirements and good practice. For humans, effects are assessed using effective dose, whereas for non-human biota, absorbed dose rate is considered. To estimate the effective dose for a reference person, four steps are essential: characterizing the source, determining radionuclide activity concentrations in environmental media, considering exposure pathways, and accounting for the characteristics of the reference person. Predicted radionuclide activity concentrations in the media through which radioactivity enters or surrounds the human body are estimated using models that employ complex mathematical and numerical algorithms resembling physical processes. The overall dose assessment is based on a robust conceptual model that can guide the operational radioactivity monitoring. In planned exposure situations, both source monitoring and environmental radioactivity monitoring may be conducted, as supported by good practice examples. In the talk, I will present effective dose estimates using a conceptual model for the case of radioactive waste disposal at sea and in the context of environmental radioactivity monitoring.
Ferroelectric nematic liquids
Nematic liquid crystals have been known for decades and are widely utilized in modern display technologies, constituting a multibillion-dollar business. Their applicability lies in a unique combination of fluidity, anisotropic physical properties, and processability....
