2008 Student Travel Grant Award Application

Please join us for CIRMS 2008 Annual Meeting:

"Radiation Measurements and Standards at the Molecular Level"

Oct. 6 - 8, 2008 in Gaithersburg, MD

2008 Preliminary Agenda

General Meeting Information

On-line Registration

Meeting Focus
The 17th Annual Meeting of the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards will focus on radiation measurements and standards at the molecular level, with implications for industry, academia and government. For the past seventeen years, CIRMS has played an important role in serving as a public forum for discussion of radiation measurements and standards issues. The technical program this year will consist of oral and poster presentations and three parallel workshops that address measurement and standards needs for the following topics:

• Medical Applications [diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, nuclear medicine]

• Radiation Protection [radiochemistry, waste analysis, personnel dosimetry, electronic dosimeters, bioassay and internal dosimetry environmental dosimetry],

• Industrial Applications and Materials Effects [dosimetry for radiation processing, radiobiology, safety at radiation facilities]

As issues in Homeland Security and for first responders can be found in each field – medicine, protection, and industry – these will be addressed in each workshop as appropriate.

Radiation Source Use and Replacement Panel Discussion

As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Congress directed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) to (1) ask the National Academy of Sciences to study the uses of, and possible replacements for radiation sources that pose high risks to human health and safety, and to make recommendations on options for implementing the replacements; and (2) form a task force on radiation source protection and security. The National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academies, convened a panel of experts who carried out the study between July 2006 and August 2007, and issued a report, Radiation Source Use and Replacement, in February 2008. The report examines uses and possible replacements for radiation sources in self-contained irradiators, panoramic irradiators (bulk irradiation facilities), radiotherapy, nondestructive examination, and well logging. The report argues that non-radionuclide replacements (mostly X-ray sources) exist for nearly all other radionuclide sources, but not all are practical or economically attractive now. The report recommends actions to implement near-term replacement of radioactive cesium-chloride sources, and adoption of policies that provide incentives to replace other Category 1 and 2 sources.

The NAS report will be discussed by a panel consisting of:

Micah D. Lowenthal of the National Research Council, the NAS study director. He has staffed various studies dealing with nuclear waste, non-proliferation, and nuclear security.

John Jankovich of the Source Safety and Security Branch of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is involved in the inter-agency task force on alternative technologies.

Marshall R. Cleland of IBA Industrial. He has been involved in accelerator development for over 50 years and gave the NAS committee a briefing on accelerator technology for bulk irradiation.

Stanley Mavrogianis, Naval Surface Warfare Center. He is a user of calibration services based on cesium-chloride and provides a users perspective.

Michal Freedhoff, Senior Policy Associate, Office of Rep. Edward Markey. She initiated a bipartisan task force on non-proliferation for the Congressman and deals with energy, environmental and homeland security matters for Mr. Markey.

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About CIRMS

The Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards (CIRMS) is an independent, non-profit council that draws together experts involved in all aspects of ionizing radiation to discuss, review and assess developments and needs in this field. Drawing upon expertise from government and national laboratories, agencies and departments, from the academic community and from industry, CIRMS has issued its fourth triennial report on “Needs in Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards.” Such needs are delineated in Measurement Program Descriptions (MPDs) that indicate the objective, state background information, define needed action items and resource requirements in terms of personnel and facilities.

Each of the subcommittees of the CIRMS Science and Technology Committee has prepared a series of MPDs pertinent to their area of expertise. These were arrived at through dialog at CIRMS meetings and workshops.

CIRMS Medical Subcommittee, which deals with diagnostic and therapeutic uses of ionizing radiation, has found need in four specific areas:

• Radioactivity Standards and Techniques for Nuclear Medicine
• Dose Mapping Systems for 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
• Absorbed Dose Standards for Brachytherapy Sources
• Liquid Based and Micro-Brachytherapy Sources

These reflect current developments in medicine that have come to rely more heavily on the use of radioactive species for diagnostic purposes and treatment. Brachytherapy, for example, is becoming more widely used as an option to treat prostate cancer. Prior to any such internal or to external treatment of cancer, patient dose mapping is needed so that the physician can best treat the targeted or intended area.

The CIRMS Public and Environmental Radiation Protection Subcommittee (PERP), which dealt with radioactivity found in the environment and its possible public health effects, and Occupational Radiation Protection Subcommittee (ORP), which dealt with worker protection in radioactive environments, have been merged into a joint Radiation Protection Subcommittee (RP). Many activities espoused by PERP were evolving into areas of interest for ORP as well. A new subcommittee devoted to the interests in Homeland Security has been formed. Its interests are combined with those in Radiation Protection. Nine Measurement Program Descriptions are defined in these areas:

• Traceability to NIST for Reference, Monitoring and Service Laboratories
• Sorption of Radioactive Elements in Contaminated Soils and Sediments and Urban Structural and Other Materials
• Atom-Counting Measurement Techniques for Environmental and Radiobioassay Monitoring
• Intercomparison Transfer Standards for Neutron Source Calibrations
• Improvements for In–vivo and In-vitro Radiobioassay Metrology
• Improved Radiation Measurement Infrastructure for Occupational Radiation Protection
• Extension of Calibration Accreditation Criteria to Low Dose Radiations
• Implementation of Support for Personnel Dosimetry Proficiency Testing per ANSI N13.11
• Emergency Radiological Response

These reflect continuing needs to improve upon ways to measure radioactivity, especially in soils, structures and other materials that have been contaminated by hosting activities related to nuclear weapons development. Accurate measurements that will be traceable to national reference standards must be sustained and an understanding of how such radioactivity decays over time is a continuing area of inquiry. Issues of calibration, proficiency testing and the maintenance of a network to monitor dose exposure in occupational settings are covered. The need for a national network capable of responding in the event of terrorist activities involving radiological materials is also addressed.

The CIRMS Industrial Applications and Materials Effects subcommittee (IAME) covers a diverse area generally not related directly to human radiation exposure. In this context, IAME has found need for measurement programs in five areas:

• Radiation Hardness Testing and Mixed-Field Radiation Effects
• Neutron Dosimetry for Reactor Pressure Vessel Surveillance
• Medical Device Sterilization
• Food Irradiation
• Low-Voltage Electron Beam Dosimetry

Terrestrial measurements of the effects (hardening) of types of radiation found in space on electronic materials are essential to satellite operations and communications systems. As nuclear power plants age, radiation effects on their pressure vessels must continue to be monitored. The growing use of irradiation to sterilize medical devices and the emergence of food irradiation demand heightened attention to dosimetry measurements and their traceability to national reference sources.

In an era of constrained government resources, the above point to areas warranting program attention as determined by a consensus of experts from industry, academia and government laboratories and agencies. Adequate resources should be allocated so that the objectives outlined in each area can be accomplished.