Issues of ensuring public radiation safety related to exposure to natural sources of ionizing radiation in the Russian Federation

Despite the sufficient scientific justification and certain successes achieved by Rospotrebnadzor in ensuring the radiation safety of the population when exposed to natural radiation sources, there are currently a number of unresolved issues that prevent the full application of existing sanitary and epidemiological requirements regarding natural radiation in practice. Summary: The paper presents an overview of the main practical issues faced by Rospotrebnadzor specialists in the course of ensuring radiation safety of the population related to natural sources of exposure, analyzes the causes and consequences of their occurrence, and evaluates the prospects for their solution. It is shown that the main practical issues in implementing current sanitary and epidemiological requirements, and the functioning of the system for collecting, recording and analyzing data on the levels of all major natural sources of public exposure, are: reduction in the number of radiation surveys conducted and measurements taken in existing buildings; unavailability of certain supplies for radon measurements; lack of practical tools for monitoring commodities with elevated concentration of natural radionuclides; lack of a clear procedure for implementing measures aimed at reducing public exposure to natural sources; reduction in the number of private testing laboratories transmitting data to Regional databank of radiation doses to the public; and the lack of practical tools holding the laboratories accountable for the poor quality of surveys conducted and measurements taken. The solution to the described issues may be: the adoption of radon programs; the resumption of the practice of issuing sanitary and epidemiological certificates for commodities or the inclusion of certain types of commodities in the list of products (goods) subject to state registration; the development of interdepartmental documents defining the procedure for handling of non-compliance with sanitary requirements; the development of a legal mechanism for interaction between Rospotrebnadzor and Rosaccreditation on the work of testing laboratories and the application of radiation control methods. Conclusion: Solving practical issues of ensuring public radiation safety related to exposure to natural sources is impossible without the coordinated work of federal and regional executive authorities, including clear mechanisms for interaction, planning and implementation of radon mitigation actions.