GENERAL
The State can protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation only by having accurate information on all sources of ionizing radiation on its territory. In order to ensure continuous monitoring and control of sources of ionizing radiation in Lithuania, the Government established a National Register of sources of ionizing radiation and occupational exposure (the Register), administered by the Radiation Protection Centre.
Purpose of the State Register of sources of ionizing radiation and occupational exposure – to collect on enterprises, institutions and organizations in Lithuania, that import, export, store, use sealed and unsealed sources, X-ray generators (X-ray tubes), accelerators and data on radioactive waste, transferred for interim storage (disposed), also disused X-ray equipment, accelerators and punctured (destroyed) X-ray tubes. The above mentioned data system allows tracking the movement of all sources in the country from “cradle-to-grave”, also the possibility is provided to conduct supervision and control of the safety and security of sources.
LEGAL BASIS Law on Radiation Protection designates the constitutor and manager of State Registers of sources of ionizing radiation and occupational exposure.
Management of the data and use of it, security and links with other registers in Register are implemented according to the Government resolution No. 460 and resolution No. 651 On the Establishment of the State Register of Radiation Sources and Exposure to Workers and Approval of its Statute modification (adopted on 9th may of 2007).
Тhe order No. V-675 of the Minister of Health, adopted on 24th August 2009 On the Approval of the Procedure of Submission Data about Sources of Ionizing Radiation and Data about Radiation Workers to the State Register of Sources of Ionizing Radiation and Exposure of Workers defines the order of the accountancy and control of sources.
Submission procedure of information on export and import of sources is determined by the Order No. 302 of the Minister of Health On Order of Presentation of Information about Nuclear, Radioactive Substances and Other Sources of Ionizing Radiation, Transported through Border of the Republic of Lithuania, adopted on 23 June 1999.
The order of ending of X-ray generators regulates the Order No. 102 of the Minister of Health, adopted on 5th March 1999 On the order of the decommissioning of X-rays generators.
REGISTER DATA All institutions, which are using sources, can be split in to 4 different groups depending on his practice. That will be education and research institution (institute, university), health care institution (hospitals, clinics, odontological cabinets), industrial objects (factories, printing-houses) and other practices (libraries, museum and other). The most sources in use are at the Ignalina nuclear power – plant (about 40% of all sources) being the largest industrial objects and health care institutions.
The Number of objects in service and practice with sources is increasing. The number of orthodontical cabinets, used in dental X-ray with the devices has increased and so to an increase in the number of X-ray generators are being seen. However the total number of sources in use in Lithuania is decreasing. In the last several years a significant decrease in the number of sealed sources used in static electric charge neutralizers and smoke detectors has been reducing.
The highest number of sources used in the country is the sealed sources, and 75% of them are used in smoke detectors of KI-1, RID-1 and RID-6M types. Each of them contains 1 or 2 sources with 239Pu isotope. The activity of KI-1 and RID-1 type detectors is 37 MBq, the activity of RID-6M – 0.37 MBq. Sources used in radiotherapy and gamma radiography are of the highest activity: 60Co source (initial activity is 250 TBq), 75Se and 192Ir sources (initial activities are 4.5 and 3.7 TBq, respectively).
Number of X-ray generators in Lithuania is small. The X-ray generators are most widely used for diagnostics in health care institutions and dental practices. In industry and other areas X-ray generators are used for radiography, baggage control and various research activities.
In Lithuania unsealed sources are used in education and research and in health care institutions. In research they use unsealed sources containing 32P, 33P, 3H, 14C and 35S, for diagnostics and treatment of various deceases - 99mTc, 125I, 131I and other radionuclides (57Co, 89Sr).
FORMS OF APPLICATION AND REPORT According to the Order No V-675 of the Minister of Health of 24 August 2009 On the Approval of the Procedure of Submission Data about Sources of Ionizing Radiation and Data about Radiation Workers to the State Register of Sources of Ionizing Radiation and Exposure of Workers, licensees shall fill in the appropriate forms of report and present them to RPC within 10 working days:
• acquired X-ray generators and accelerators,
• acquired sealed sources,
• acquired radioactive materials,
• sold sources (generators, accelerators and sealed sources)
• sold radioactive materials,
• installed/decommissioned sources(generators, accelerators and sealed sources),
• sealed sources, accepted for storage as radioactive waste,
аs well a data for annual inventory of sources if ionizing radiation – annually until 31th January.
Here you can find the appropriate
forms to complete.
CONTACTS For more information, please contact specialists at RPC Subdivision of state register of sources of ionizing radiation and exposure doses of workers:
Diana Nikitina (d.nikitinaATrsc.lt )
Valdemar Jankovskij (v.jankovskijATrsc.lt)