Ghsi Emergency Radionuclide Bioassay Laboratory Network – Summary of the Second Exercise

Abstract

The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) established a laboratory network within the GHSI community to develop collective surge capacity for radionuclide bioassay in response to a radiological or nuclear emergency as a means of enhancing response capability, health outcomes and community resilience. GHSI partners conducted an exercise in collaboration with the WHO REMPAN (Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network) and the IAEA RANET (Response and Assistance Network), to test the participating laboratories (18) for their capabilities in in vitro assay of biological samples, using a urine sample spiked with multiple high-risk radionuclides (90Sr, 106Ru, 137Cs, and 239Pu). Laboratories were required to submit their reports within 72 hours following receipt of the sample, using a pre-formatted template, on the procedures, methods and techniques used to identify and quantify the radionuclides in the sample, as well as the bioassay results with a 95% confidence interval. All of the participating laboratories identified and measured all or some of the radionuclides in the sample. However, gaps were identified in both the procedures used to assay multiple radionuclides in one sample, as well as in the methods or techniques used to assay specific radionuclides in urine. Two third of the participating laboratories had difficulties in determining all the radionuclides in the sample. Results from this exercise indicate that challenges remain with respect to ensuring that results are delivered in a timely, consistent and reliable manner to support medical interventions. Laboratories within the networks are encouraged to work together to develop and maintain collective capabilities and capacity for emergency bioassay, which is an important component of radiation emergency response.

Public health response and medical management of internal contamination in past radiological or nuclear incidents: A narrative review

“…When the 238 Pu wound incident at the Savanah River Site occurred, the models and procedures in NCRP Report No 156 ( NCRP, 2007 ) were successfully used to manage this case ( Sugarman et al, 2018 ; Toohey et al, 2011 ). However, gaps in individual monitoring capabilities still remain, for example, a recent international intercomparison exercise revealed the challenges with identification and quantification of mixed radionuclides for in vitro monitoring and dose assessment ( Li et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Surge capacity for monitoring large populations and performing dose assessments following a radiological or nuclear emergency has been an important long-standing issue. Both international and national organizations have been developing collaboration mechanisms which can help increase surge capacity ( Carr, 2010 ; IAEA, 2018 ; Li et al, 2017 ; Kulka et al, 2017 ). International and regional agreements and arrangements, including laboratory networks, help to enhance bilateral or multilateral support in responding to an emergency.…”

How to assess internal doses for epidemiological studies and for emergency response? An overview of differences with routine operational radiation protection approach

“…In vitro measurements of the excretion rate in biological samples (mainly in urine and feces) of potentially internally exposed people are carried out when the radioactive release consists of alpha-or beta-emitters with photon emissions of very low energy or intensity, if the accident scenario involves uranium or actinide releases not measurable by in vivo monitoring, to confirm internal contamination in case of persistent external contamination and to improve the assessment of the internal dose when the exposure is significant [6; 7] . [20][21][22] . The objective of all these actions is for laboratories to develop and to validate methods with sensitivity enough to meet the requirements for emergency bioassay in typical nuclear accident scenarios.…”

90Sr bioassay in small-volume urine by ICP-MS/MS with CO2 as the reaction gas

“…To meet such low MDLs, conventional radiometric methods, such as Cherenkov counting with liquid scintillation counters have been used to measure 90 Sr in urine, taking advantage of the high specic activities of 90 Sr (5.11 × 10 12 Bq g −1 ) and its daughter 90 Y (2.01 × 10 16 Bq g −1 ). [13][14][15] Wang et al achieved a minimum detectable activity of 0.005 Bq/sample using 1 L urine sample. 13 However, the primary drawback of these radiometric methods is the long analytical time (2-3 weeks) mainly due to the waiting time for the secular equilibrium state between 90 Sr and 90 Y.…”