Comparison of Specific Exemption Regulations for Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Isotopes

Background: Practices involving radionuclides at levels below the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) generic exemptions are exempt from regulation without further consideration. Practices involving radionuclides at levels above those generic exemptions may also be exempt from regulation if they meet certain conditions. These are known as specific exemptions, and each country has established its own specific exemption criteria based on the conditions set out in the IAEA General Safety Requirements (GSR) Part 3. Those conditions relate to the physical or chemical form of the radioactive material as well as to its use or the means of its disposal.Materials and Methods: The specific exemption criteria of eight countries (i.e., the United States of America [US], Japan, France, China, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [UK], and Germany) were analyzed. Their similarities and differences as compared with the specific exemption criteria of the Republic of Korea (ROK) were analyzed, and suggestions for revision of the Korean regulations were formulated.Results and Discussion: Each country’s specific exemption criteria are defined based mostly on the IAEA criteria but tailored to its domestic circumstances. The nine countries with their specific exemption criteria can be broadly categorized into three groups: nuclide-specific exemptions for specific products (the ROK and the US), common criteria for all nuclides without specification of particular products (Japan, France, and China), and both specific and common criteria (Australia, Canada, the UK, and Germany).Conclusion: The specific exemption criteria of the different countries examined in this study could be helpful in reviewing the ROK’s specific exemption criteria. Development of common criteria alongside specific criteria for products requiring special attention may be a good way to determine whether new consumer products containing radioisotopes should be regulated.