Date of Award

2-2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environmental Science

First Advisor

Dr. Rami Mehrem

Second Advisor

Dr. Farouk Mohamed EI-Assaly

Third Advisor

Dr. Bashar Issa

Abstract

Many of the latest practices in the fields of medicine and industry in the United Arab Emirates involve the use of radioactive ionizing sources and equipment of ionizing radiation.

The radioactive sources are the materials, which produce nuclear radiation such as alpha, beta, gamma and neutron. These sources have important practical usefulness in the field of industry such as evaluating oil wells and tracing out corrosion of pipes and Concrete as well as in medicine for medical diagnosis and treating cancer. On the other hand, radiation has negative effects as in the case of radiation pollution or worker exposure to higher radioactive doses. Due to the increase in using radioactive materials or relevant technologies for these practices, the measures for radiation protection and the safety of sources have also become increasingly complex. An assessment of the present UAE radiation protection program is imperative and its upgrading is of utmost necessity. This study is intended to contribute to fulfill these needs, as applied to Dubai. It is worthwhile to mention that Dubai was used as a model for assessing the radiation safety program.

Therefore it is decided firstly:

To address all the users for these radioactive sources in the Emirate of Dubai by serving notification forms to them and thereafter processing all data collected and inserting it in a special computerized data bank program which has been prepared by lAEA.

Secondly

The program for protection from ionizing radiation in the Emirate of Dubai was evaluated through special assessment reports. These reports were developed and distributed to randomly selected radiation users in medicine and industry, and thereafter the returned reports were analyzed and field inspection visits to these establishments were arranged to review the methods used for protection after securing the consent of the proprietors.

During the inspection, the international standards were applied to verify the efficiency of the radiation shielding and the extent of protecting the worker and the public, in addition to reviewing the protection procedures from exposure for each establishment. After that all data and details collected were compared with the international standards, and based on that the final decision about the effectiveness of the establishment's program for protection against radiation was taken.

The study calls for the prompt issuance of rules as an infrastructure for a law to protect against ionizing radiation. This is done taking into account the internal conditions in the country as well as the general recommendations of the technical management of the relevant bodies in the areas of transport, the use and storage of radioactive sources. Special recommendations, for the case of Dubai, in the detection of environmental radiation pollution and disposal of the radioactive waste were suggested.

Knowingly the main structures of the law in this study are based on the latest recommendations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) relevant to the standards of safety from radiation.

Lastly this study includes a suggestion for setting up the capability for an emergency response related to radiation accidents or incidents, and setting an emergency plan to face the radiation accidents or incidents involving the radioactive sources that are widely used in the emirate of Dubai.

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