Sustainability and NORM — The Practitioner’s Perspective

This paper aims to discuss some of the challenges (and opportunities) associated with NORM and sustainability. Practical examples are used to demonstrate that the strict application of operational quantities, such as exemption values or surface contamination limits, can restrict the use of products that could be used in an unrestricted manner from a risk-based perspective. This can lead to the devaluation of material goods, such as phosphogypsum, radioactively contaminated scrap, and lead-containing 210Pb, among others, which clash with the objectives of the circular economy and thus also sustainability. The paper exemplifies the linkages between radiation protection and sustainability and aims to open a discussion on the adverse social and economic effects of the current practice. This is particularly relevant given the further development of the radiation protection system initiated by ICRP. Some preliminary ideas for this discussion are described.