Health: ENEA in NATO project for radiological and nuclear emergencies

Two innovative rapid screening systems to detect the dose of ionizing radiation absorbed in the event of a large-scale radiological or nuclear accident have been developed as part of the NATO BioPhyMeTRE project, coordinated by ENEA and comprising the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology (Kazakhstan) and the Ruđer Bošković Institute (Croatia).

“This project is part of NATO 'Science for Peace and Security^[1]' program in the context of radiological and nuclear emergencies with the aim of validating new tools to provide guidance to first responders involved in the triage phase,” explained Antonella Federica Testa, researcher at the ENEA Health and Environment Laboratory and coordinator of the BioPhyMeTRE^[2] project. “In the case of an accident involving ionizing radiation,” the researcher pointed out, ”the triage phase Accurate assessment of the radiation dose in shortest possible time allows to categorize potentially affected victims and provide, in the shortest possible time, accurate assessment of the absorbed radiation dose, on which depends the medical treatment to save the victim’s life.

The screening system (biological dosimetry) is based on the observation under an optical microscope of a small blood sample to search specific chromosomal abnormalities induced by ionizing radiation in lymphocytes (immune cells), in a dose-dependent manner. This means that, in the event of radiation overexposure, lymphocytes can be considered “circulating dosimeters” by being able to “record” radiation-induced damage in the DNA molecule.

“The new method, developed at ENEA and validated as part of the project, involves a combined protocol that allows to simultaneously apply the two most validated biological dosimetry tests on the same slide and, in addition, has been automated, thanks to the use of state-of-the-art microscopy instrumentation purchased with NATO funds. The combination of the new combined protocol and automation made it possible to create a very rapid screening system that enables multiplexed analysis in a very short time,” explained Antonella Federica Testa.

The project also validated a second method (physical dosimetry) developed by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità together with the Croatian partner Ruđer Bošković

Institute (RBI), which measures optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) produced by personal items that may be found in bags, pockets, or in the vicinity of people involved in a radiological accident. The technique has already been successfully tested on some such materials, and its novelty lies in the use of a low-cost portable measurement system that can also be easily used at the accident site for rapid radiological triage of potential victims. Of all the objects examined, salty snacks and some food supplements containing magnesium showed particular promise as fortuitous dosimeters having provided accurate assessments of absorbed doses in radiological accident simulation tests.

“Both screening systems have the common goal of speeding up the assessment of the absorbed dose in the triage phase in case of overexposure to ionizing radiation. Indeed, in the assessment of absorbed dose, it is important to have several measurement systems available because each of them, used individually, has limitations and advantages related to parameters such as radiation sensitivity, stability of induced damage, or dependence on the characteristics of the individual. Therefore, an approach that takes into account and compares data from different dosimetry systems ensures a more accurate exposure estimate” the researcher pointed out.

At the international level there are numerous initiatives directed at establishing networks of excellence in dosimetry. These international networks are aimed at activating and coordinating all countries involved in nuclear accident emergencies, offering practical support for rapid assessment of absorbed dose in overexposed populations. ENEA's expertise in this field originated in the mid-1960s with the establishment of the only national reference center for ionizing radiation dose assessment through biological dosimetry methods that has remained active for more than four decades.

Over the time ENEA has also coordinated international cooperative projects to study populations involved in major nuclear disasters, from Chernobyl to the South Urals to Kazakhstan and for many years the ENEA Health and Environment Laboratory has been included in the most important international dosimetry networks activated in the event of a large-scale nuclear accidents like the WHO BioDoseNet, a consortium of associated states created by the World Health Organization, the European network RENEB, (Running the European network in Biological and Physical Retrospective Dosimetry) and EURADOS, which collaborate on new methods with the objective of coping with radiological accidents emergencies with a number of potential victims so high as to exceed the capacity of a single laboratory. In particular, in 2015 ENEA entered into an agreement with the European RENEB network by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which made itself available to collaborate in case of nuclear emergencies.