ASN Report 2015

The radiological quality of water intended for

human consumption

Pursuant to Article R. 1321-3 of the Public Health Code,

water intended for human consumption is subject

to radiological quality inspection. The monitoring

procedures are specified in the Order of 12th May

2004. They form part of the sanitary monitoring

carried out by the Regional Health Agencies (ARS). The

Order of 11th January 2007 concerning water quality

limits and benchmarks introduces four radiological

quality indicators for water intended for human

consumption. With regard to the transposition of

Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom of 22nd October

2013 which sets requirements for protecting the health

of the population with respect to radioactive substances

in water intended for human consumption, the Order of

11th January 2007 was modified in 2015 by the Order

of 9th December 2015 (Order modifying several Orders

concerning water intended for human consumption

issued pursuant to Articles R. 1321-2, R. 1321-3,

R. 1321-7, R. 1321-20, R. 1321-21 and R. 1321-38 of

the Public Health Code) thereby introducing a quality

reference for radon in groundwater.

An Order of 9th December 2015 also sets procedures

for measuring radon in water intended for human

consumption, including packaged water, with the

exception of natural mineral water, and in water used

in a food company which does not come from the public

mains supply, for the purposes of health checks pursuant

to Articles R. 1321-10, R. 1321-15 and R. 1321-16 of

the Public Health Code.

The indicators and the limits adopted are the total

alpha activity (0.1 Bq/L), the total residual beta activity

(1 Bq/L), the tritium activity (100 Bq/L) and the indicative

dose (0.1mSv/year). The quality reference for radon

is 100 Bq/L.

The circular fromtheGeneral Directorate for Health (DGS)

dated 13th June 2007, accompanied by recommendations

fromASN, specifies the policy underpinning this regulation.

It will need to be added to in order to take account of the

transposition of Directive 2013/51.

Radiological quality of foodstuffs

Restrictions on the consumption or sale of foodstuffs

may be necessary in the event of an accident or of any

other radiological emergency situation.

In Europe, these restrictions are determined by Council

Regulation 2016/52/Euratom of 15th January 2016,

laying down maximum permitted levels of radioactive

contamination of foodstuffs and livestock feedstuffs. The

maximum permitted levels were defined to

“safeguard

the health of the population while maintaining the unified

nature of the market”.

In the event of a confirmed nuclear accident, “automatic”

application of this regulation cannot exceed a period of

threemonths, after which it will be superseded by specific

measures (see the regulation specific to the Chernobyl

accident, the values of which are given in the appendix).

Following the accident which struck Fukushima Daiichi

on 11th March 2011, this system was activated by the

European Commission on numerous occasions between

2011 and2013, to take account of the changing radiological

situation in the regions concerned

. For example, in

the EU’s first post-Fukushima regulation (297/2011

of 25th March 2011), the maximum permitted levels

for 134/137Cs in milk were 1000 Bq/L as stipulated in

Euratom regulation 3954/87. They were lowered a first

time in April 2011 to 200 Bq/L and then a second time

in April 2012 to 50 Bq/L, in line with the lowering of

the maximum permitted levels in Japan.

Radioactive waste and effluents

Management of waste and effluents from BNIs and

Installations Classified on Environmental Protection

grounds (ICPEs) is subject to the provisions of the special

regulations concerning these installations (for BNIs, see

point 3.4.3). For themanagement of waste and effluents

from other establishments, including hospitals (Article

R. 1333-12 of the Public Health Code), general rules

are established in ASN resolution 2008-DC-0095 of

29th January 2008. These effluents and waste must be

disposed of in duly authorised facilities, unless there are

special provisions for on-site organisation andmonitoring

of their radioactive decay (this concerns radionuclides

with a radioactive half-life of less than 100 days).

French policy for themanagement of very low level waste

in BNIs and facilities subject to the Public Health Code is

clear and protective: it makes no provision for a “clearance

level” for this waste (in other words a generic radioactivity

level below which effluents and waste produced by a

nuclear activity can be disposed of without control), but

on the contrary ensures that they aremanaged in a special

stream to ensure traceability. ASN considers that the use

of clearance levels would have three major drawbacks:

•

the difficulty in defining universal levels;

•

the difficulty in controlling the clearance of this waste;

•

and the incentive to dilute this waste in the environment.

With regard to the possibilities for reuse of the waste,

ASN is not in favour of the reuse in consumer goods or

construction products of waste that is or is likely to be

contaminated.Waste fromareas inwhich the production

of nuclear waste is a possibilitymay only be reusedwithin

the nuclear sector.

2. European regulation (EU) 297/2011, then modified by regulations

351/2011, 506/2011, 657/2011, 961/2011, 1371/2011, 284/2012,

561/2012, 996/2012 and 495/2013.

CHAPTER 03:

REGULATIONS

ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015