Internal Radioactive Contamination Monitoring During Off-Normal Situations

Internal monitoring of a large group of contaminated people is mandatory during nuclear and radiological emergency situations. The emergency preparedness and response will be implemented during such off-normal situations. The action plans will be based on the generic and operational criteria. Rapid monitoring results play a significant role in the decision-making. Most of the time the specialized internal contamination monitoring facilities may be far from the incident site. In such scenarios, independent internal contamination monitoring units as mobile units may be required to be set up near the affected site for primary screening of the contaminated individuals. In-vivo measurement techniques can be used for rapid screening of the public by using, field deployable in-vivo monitoring systems like Portable Whole-Body Monitor (PWBM) and Portable Thyroid Monitors (PTM), survey meters, laboratory-based Quick Scan Whole Body Monitor, etc. The present chapter briefly explains the preparedness and response strategies during nuclear or radiological emergency situations and the internal contamination monitoring protocols followed during such off-normal situations.