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Relevance of Radiometric Metrology in NORM Industries and Radiological Safety

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Handbook of Metrology and Applications

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Abstract

Safety is the key for sustenance of any industrial activities which directly or indirectly links with the economy and growth of the country. Unlike conventional safety awareness and measures in industries handling of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), scant attention has been paid to radiological one. Internationally, scientific efforts are being made to identify the industries/processes laced with activity concentration greater than 1 Bq/g criteria for NORM which required appropriate control measures and regulatory instruments to protect the occupational workers, the environment, and the members of the public which is environmentally sustainable, socially acceptable, and economically affordable. Association of multi-hazards in NORM industries and diversification of operations across the NORM industries make the case more complex and difficult to regulate. In this scenario, radiometric techniques play a vital role for identification and quantification of NORM. Radiometric metrology is required to demonstrate verifiable indicator parameters for acceptability of the public, policy decisions, and development of legislative limits. However, nonexistence of overarching government policy and regulation on handling of naturally occurring radioactive materials except the industries under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in India make a strong pitch for introspection and evolve of scientific approach to deal with the insidious potential hazard. In the paper, authors have reviewed the published literatures related to handing of naturally occurring radioactive materials, elevated levels of these radionuclides in various industrial activities, principles of radiometric metrology, and radiological safety.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to all the colleagues of Radiation Protection Section (Nuclear Fuels), Health Physics Division, and BARC for their support and help during preparation of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

    S. K. Jha, S. K. Sahoo & M. S. Kulkarni

  2. Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Dinesh K. Aswal

Authors
  1. S. K. Jha
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  2. S. K. Sahoo
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  3. M. S. Kulkarni
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  4. Dinesh K. Aswal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. K. Jha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Dinesh K. Aswal

  2. Physico-Mechanical Metrology, CSIR - National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Sanjay Yadav

  3. National Metrology Institute of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial, Ibaraki, Japan

    Toshiyuki Takatsuji

  4. National Institute of Standards and Tech, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

    Prem Rachakonda

  5. Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology, Delhi, India

    Harish Kumar

Section Editor information

  1. Health Physics Division, BARC, Mumbai, India

    M S Kulakrni PhD

  2. Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

    B. K Sapra PhD

  3. Radiation Safety Systems Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

    Probal Chaudhury PhD

  4. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Division, BARC, Mumbai, India

    A. Vinod Kumar PhD

  5. Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Dinesh K Aswal

  6. Pressure, Vacuum and Ultrasonic Metrology, Division of Physico-Mechanical Metrology, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, India

    Sanjay Yadav

  7. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India

    Sanjay Yadav

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Jha, S.K., Sahoo, S.K., Kulkarni, M.S., Aswal, D.K. (2023). Relevance of Radiometric Metrology in NORM Industries and Radiological Safety. In: Aswal, D.K., Yadav, S., Takatsuji, T., Rachakonda, P., Kumar, H. (eds) Handbook of Metrology and Applications. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2074-7_121

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