Intercomparison on measurements of the quantity personal dose equivalent Hp(10) in photon fields in the African region.

An intercomparison was arranged by the International Atomic Energy Agency for the African region for personal dose equivalent. This was arranged with a view to helping member states to comply with dose limitation requirements and to harmonise the use of internationally agreed quantities and recommended assessment methods. The scope of the intercomparison was aimed at passive dosemeters, which determine the personal dose equivalent in photon radiation fields. The comparison protocol is presented together with the results.

A structured approach for the assessment of internal dose: the IDEAS guidelines.

The need for harmonisation of the procedures for internal dose assessment has been recognised within an EU research project under the 5th Framework Programme. The aim of the IDEAS project was to develop general guidelines for standardising assessments of intakes and internal doses. It started in October 2001 and ended in June 2005. The project is closely related to some goals of the work of Committee 2 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection and since 2003 there has been close co-operation between the two groups. The general philosophy of the guidelines is focusing on the principles of harmonisation, accuracy and proportionality. The proposed system of 'level of task' to structure the approach of internal dose evaluation is also reported. Some details of the internal structure of the guidelines for the different pathways of intake are provided.

Application of IDEAS guidelines: the IDEAS/IAEA intercomparison exercise on internal dose assessment.

As part of the EU Fifth Framework Programme IDEAS project 'General Guidelines for the Evaluation of Incorporation Monitoring Data', and in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a new intercomparison exercise for the assessment of doses from intakes of radionuclides was organised. Several cases were selected, to cover a wide range of practices in the nuclear fuel cycle and medical applications. The cases were: (1) acute intake of HTO, (2) acute inhalation of the fission products 137Cs and 90Sr, (3) acute inhalation of 60Co, (4) repeated intakes of 131I, (5) intake of enriched uranium and (6) single intake of Pu isotopes and 241Am. This intercomparison exercise especially focused on the effect of the Guidelines proposed by the IDEAS project for harmonisation of internal dosimetry.

IAEA/IDEAS intercomparison exercise on internal dose assessment.

An Internet based intercomparison exercise on assessment of occupational exposure due to intakes of radionuclides has been performed to check the applicability of the 'General Guidelines for the Assessment of Internal Dose from Monitoring Data' developed by the IDEAS group. There were six intake cases presented on the Internet and 81 participants worldwide reported solutions to these cases. Results of the exercise indicate that the guidelines have a positive influence on the methodologies applied for dose assessments and, if correctly applied, improve the harmonisation of assessed doses.

General guidelines for the assessment of internal dose from monitoring data: progress of the IDEAS project.

In recent major international intercomparison exercises on intake and internal dose assessments from monitoring data, the results calculated by different participants varied significantly. Based on this experience the need for harmonisation of the procedures has been formulated within an EU 5th Framework Programme research project. The aim of the project, IDEAS, is to develop general guidelines for standardising assessments of intakes and internal doses. The IDEAS project started in October 2001 and ended in June 2005. The project is closely related to some goals of the work of Committee 2 of the ICRP and since 2003 there has been close cooperation between the two groups. To ensure that the guidelines are applicable to a wide range of practical situations, the first step was to compile a database of well-documented cases of internal contamination. In parallel, an improved version of an existing software package was developed and distributed to the partners for further use. A large number of cases from the database was evaluated independently by the partners and the results reviewed. Based on these evaluations, guidelines were drafted and discussed with dosimetry professionals from around the world by means of a virtual workshop on the Internet early in 2004. The guidelines have been revised and refined on the basis of the experiences and discussions in this virtual workshop. The general philosophy of the Guidelines is presented here, focusing on the principles of harmonisation, optimisation and proportionality. Finally, the proposed Levels of Task to structure the approach of internal dose evaluation are reported.

Validation process and uncertainty budget: a recommended approach for performance verification.

Within its Occupational Radiation Protection Programme, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiated and funded many international and regional intercomparison exercises, with the aim of verifying performance of the individual monitoring service providers. An important component within the quality system is the validation and uncertainty budget of the method used. Each method must be validated. This validation process must provide evidence that the method can fulfil all requirements for its intended use. A method may be regarded as validated only when it fulfils all requirements established before the validation process. This paper reviews methods recommended for different types of measurement techniques in individual monitoring.

Surgical management of ankylosed impacted maxillary canines.

Impacted and ankylosed maxillary canines were repositioned to replace maxillary lateral incisors lost after root resorption. Direct bonding of orthodontic brackets and arch wire fixation were performed at the time of surgery.