The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has issued a product warning to advise consumers of the dangers of portable devices that emit ultraviolet radiation (UVR).

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, some companies and individuals are promoting UVR devices to treat or prevent the spread of coronavirus. These devices emit short-wave UVR known as UVC and have been marketed for use in personal or home sterilisation as a means of killing the virus responsible for COVID-19.

‘ARPANSA and our colleagues at the World Health Organization [WHO] are concerned about the dangers of home use of UVC lamps’, said Dr Rick Tinker, Director, Assessment and Advice at ARPANSA.

‘Using these small commercially-available lamps in the home is not recommended and can be very dangerous.’

Concerns include the variability of effectiveness of lamps and the potential to provide a false impression of safety if the intensity or duration of exposure is not sufficient to kill the virus. In addition to varying reliability, there are also serious health risks if skin or eyes are exposed to UVC light.

‘UVC exposure to the skin or eyes can cause both short term injury and long term health effects’, said Dr Tinker, ‘Possible health impacts include burns, eye injuries and an increased risk of skin cancer or cataracts’.

UVC lamps are not proven to effectively kill the virus responsible for COVID-19 on the body, personal living spaces or handheld objects such as mobile phones and shopping bags. They present serious health risks and are considered an unjustified radiation exposure.

The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to practice good hygiene, wash hands and surfaces thoroughly and comply with social-distancing measures. For further information on how to stop the spread of coronavirus, visit the Department of Health website.

Read more:

• Statement from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
• Statement from the International Commission on Illumination (CIE)

The new 5G mobile phone network, earlier mobile networks and other wireless telecommunications sources emit low-level radiofrequency electromagnetic energy, which are also called radio waves.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has provided advice on 5G and health. ARPANSA has also published advice on misinformation about Australia’s 5G network.

After many decades of research, it is well established that exposure to radio waves at very high power levels can cause excessive heating of the human body. This can lead to a variety of serious health effects.

In order to protect people from the harmful effects of high power radio waves, ARPANSA has developed a safety standard that sets limits for exposure to radio waves for the public and workers. These limits are set well below the level at which harm may occur.

The operating frequencies of the 5G network are included within the limits set by the ARPANSA safety standard. 5G infrastructure and devices emitting radio waves are regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), and emissions must comply with the ARPANSA safety standard.

With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some members of the public are concerned about the human immune system and whether it can be compromised by wireless telecommunications sources such as 5G.

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, organs, and the substances they make that helps the human body fight infectious disease caused by invading microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria.

A number of studies have investigated whether exposure to radio waves can affect the immune system. Some studies have shown that exposure to high power radio waves, much greater than the limits of the ARPANSA safety standard, increases the core body temperature, which can cause temporary effects on the immune system.

Studies have also investigated whether low level radio wave exposure from telecommunications sources like 5G can impact the immune system. Such studies, including those that have investigated effects on antigens, antibodies and oxidative stress, have not provided evidence of changes in immune function.

There is no established evidence that low level radio wave exposure from 5G and other wireless telecommunications can affect the immune system or cause any other long term or short term health effects.

For up-to-date information and advice on COVID-19, including how you can protect yourself and others, please refer to the Department of Health website.

Read more:

• World Health Organization information on COVID-19 and telecommunications
• International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation advice

ARPANSA’s Dr Ken Karipidis chaired a committee of the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) to develop a statement on exposure to non-ionising radiation for cosmetic purposes.

The new statement includes guidance on the use of non-ionising radiation for cosmetic purposes, including laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation and body sculpting.

‘The new ICNIRP statement provides an important analysis of the safety and regulation of cosmetic use of non-ionising radiation’, said Dr Karipidis, Assistant Director, Assessment and Advice.

The statement was prepared by an international committee of eminent scientists working in the field of radiation protection with representatives from organisations in Australia, the US, UK and other European countries.

‘Cosmetic devices that use non-ionising radiation are becoming increasingly popular and safety is an important factor’ said Dr Karipidis, ‘misuse can result in burns, skin damage or pigmentation and even long term eye damage in some cases’.

ARPANSA released guidance on the use of lasers, light-emitting diodes (LED) and intense pulsed light (IPL) for cosmetic purposes last year and the ICNIRP statement supports an international approach to radiation protection in this field.

The statement describes the various techniques and technologies used in cosmetic applications of non-ionising radiation and analyses findings from a diverse body of scientific research. The statement also addresses the use of ultrasound for cosmetic purposes, home-use devices and occupational exposure considerations.

‘The statement provides important evidence-based guidance to service providers and customers around the world to improve the safety of cosmetic use of non-ionising radiation’, said Dr Karipidis.

ARPANSA’s Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS) has carried out audits on a new Elekta Unity MRI-Linac in Townsville, Queensland before the treatment of the first patient.

The new technology is a magnetic resonance radiation therapy (MR/RT) system that allows for precision delivery of radiation doses through improved visualisation during treatment. 

Currently in Australia, there is just one MRI-linac in clinical operation. Collaborating with local and international institutions, the audit process was carried out by ARPANSA after the completion of a year-long development program.

ARPANSA’s ACDS conducted Level 1b and Level III audits on the new machine. The Level 1b audit saw ACDS staff visiting the facility in Townsville to perform on-site measurements using ACDS dosimetry equipment. 

The Level III audit involved an end-to-end test using a human-like manikin simulating a real-life patient undergoing all steps in the radiotherapy treatment chain. 

Conducting the audit prior to any patient treatment provided strong quality assurance for the radiation oncology facility in Townsville and confidence in the dose received for all future patients. 

Jessica Lye, Director of ACDS, stated, “Our input assists in providing assurance and confidence that the correct radiation dose is being delivered to Australian patients. We are proud of this important step in ensuring patient safety with the newest radiotherapy technology.” 

ARPANSA maintains the safety standard for radiofrequency electromagnetic energy – also known as radio waves. Radio waves are produced from various sources including mobile telecommunications, radio, television and Wi-Fi.

Our safety standard is based on guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and relied on by the World Health Organization (WHO).

ICNIRP has recently released a revision of its guidelines for radiofrequency radiation protection.

The 2020 ICNIRP guidelines are an update of the previous 1998 guidelines and include a detailed explanation of how exposure limits have been set, along with a review of current research into radio waves and health.

The exposure limits set in the updated guidelines are similar to those in the 1998 guidelines, with some refinements. These refinements take into account modern measurement practices and advances in modelling based on relevant research.

‘The level of protection provided by our current standard is comparable to that provided by the new ICNIRP guidelines’, said Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson, ARPANSA CEO.

‘It is reassuring to see the scientific consensus continues to support current standards, which provide strong public protection’.

The refined ICNIRP guidelines have triggered a review and update of ARPANSA’s radiofrequency standard.

The volume of research and scientific evidence underpinning these new guidelines has increased substantially since the previous edition. It is important that this evidence, along with advances in measurement and modelling is addressed in our revised standard.

ARPANSA’s standard for radio waves: Radiation Protection Standard for Maximum Exposure Levels to Radiofrequency Fields - 3 kHz to 300 GHz (2002) will be updated during 2020 to ensure alignment with the new ICNIRP guidelines.

‘We look forward to sharing our new draft for public consultation later in the year’, said Dr Larsson.

View the updated ICNIRP guidelines: https://www.icnirp.org/en/activities/news/news-article/rf-guidelines-2020-published.html

Recently, ARPANSA co-authored a new study which found that modern airline pilots registered in Australia, appear not to be at higher risk of developing invasive melanoma than the rest of the population.

The study, led by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, has been published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

This study is significant because it is a change from previous findings that focused on pilots in the northern hemisphere.

For decades, previous research showed much higher risks of melanoma in European and North American pilots, compared to the general population. 

The Australian study was also conducted in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). QIMR Berghofer researcher and lead author, Associate Professor Catherine Olsen, said this study examined health information from more than 20,000 Australian licensed pilots.

‘We looked at de-identified medical records from 2011 to 2016 held by the CASA, and found pilots in this country were not at a higher risk of developing invasive melanoma than the general population,’ Associate Professor Olsen said.

‘These new findings may reflect that conditions on airliner flights have changed,’ added Dr. Rick Tinker, co-author of the study and Director of Assessment and Advice at ARPANSA.

‘Factors such as levels of short-wave solar ultraviolet radiation, which are the kind associated with melanoma, are mostly extremely low on today’s airliner flight decks.’

‘Other reasons why melanoma risk for pilots may have lowered, may be because pilots these days have different lifestyles and work practices. For example, they are expected to fly more and therefore have less layovers, especially in sunny destinations.’

Researchers hope this study will be built on further, using contemporary data gathered from around the world, in order to confirm whether commercial pilots in other countries are also no longer at increased melanoma risk.

The study was funded by the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine.

For more details on the study, visit QIMR Berghofer.

For media inquiries, reach out to QIMR Berghofer’s media contact.

A further study was published in March 2020:

ARPANSA has again collated data from radiation regulators around the country to provide a report on radiation safety and identify opportunities for improvement in the safe use of radiation, particularly in the medical sector. 

The Australian Radiation Incident Register (ARIR) report is a summary and analysis of data submitted to the ARIR for incidents that occurred in 2018. 

It’s good to see that we are continuing to see an increase in the number of submissions to the ARIR, as awareness of the register increases’, said Mr Jim Scott, Head of the Regulatory Services Branch at ARPANSA.

‘The report provides hospitals and other organisations that use radiation a unique opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences, and continue to develop safety practices and culture in their workplace.’

The 2018 feature topic is radiotherapy; the treatment of cancer or the symptoms of cancer using radiation. During 2018, more than 60 000 patients underwent radiotherapy treatment and more than 15 million diagnostic imaging procedures involving radiation were carried out in Australia.

Findings of the report include:

• a total of 723 incidents reported – a 26 per cent increase from the previous year – demonstrating better awareness of the ARIR
• medical procedures accounted for 98 per cent of incidents
• human error was a trigger in 65 per cent of incidents
• malfunction of medical equipment accounted for 19 per cent of incidents.

‘As in previous years, the 2018 data shows that human error continues to be the most common trigger of radiation incidents and contributes to many others’, said Mr Scott. 

‘Understanding contributing factors that lead to human error is key to avoiding similar incidents in future. This reinforces the importance of a strong safety culture as well as the need to continue to innovate and identify solutions that reduce likelihood of error.’

The Australian Radiation Incident Register raises awareness on where, how and why incidents and events involving radiation occur, and shares strategies to prevent them. 

It assists in identifying topical areas where safety efforts may be focused to improve radiation protection in Australia.

Example cases in the report demonstrate outcomes of real-life scenarios and more importantly the preventive measures to take to avoid reoccurring incidents.

Both the ARIR and this summary report play an important role in ensuring the ongoing safety of Australians using radiation.

Read more: ARIR annual summary reports.

Computed tomography (CT) procedures use ionising radiation to produce images of patients for better medical diagnosis and treatment, often avoiding more invasive tests.

The radiation dose from a CT scan, while low, is nonetheless assumed to contribute a small additional risk to a patient’s lifetime risk of cancer.  International guidelines are in place to keep radiation dose as low as possible.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) collects and reviews data on patient dose from CT scans to produce diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) showing typical doses from scans. ARPANSA also advises medical facilities on how their practice compares, to encourage best practice in radiation safety.

‘In 2018, we analysed data from more than 47,000 CT scans at 381 facilities around Australia’ said Dr Peter Thomas, Director Medical Imaging at ARPANSA.

 ‘The data shows that, on average, patients are receiving much lower doses from CTs than we saw 5-10 years ago’.

‘Average dose has decreased by around 15 to 20 per cent since the original DRLs were published.’

The change is due to advances in CT practices and technologies.

The national DRLs published by ARPANSA give healthcare providers a valuable point of comparison to improve patient safety.

‘If a facility finds that patient doses are consistently above the reference levels, they are required to investigate if the higher dose is justified’, said Dr Thomas.

‘Conversely, if patients are receiving doses well below the reference levels, the facility may need to review image quality to ensure procedures are effective.’

The analysis used to develop the DRLs is explained in a new article in the Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences.

The updated DRLs show that patient dose in Australia from CT is in line with leading countries like the UK and Germany, demonstrating Australia’s excellence in medical imaging and radiation safety.

Read more: Updated Australian diagnostic reference levels for adult CT

ARPANSA staff Sandra Sdraulig and Dr Stuart Henderson recently travelled to Antarctica to support ongoing monitoring of radionuclides and ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the environment.

The trip was part of Australia’s involvement in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans nuclear explosions and testing and includes a monitoring network to detect nuclear activity. 

The CTBT international monitoring system aims to ensure that no nuclear explosion goes undetected. ARPANSA is responsible for a total of nine monitoring stations, including one in Antarctica. 

Sandra and Stuart travelled to Mawson Station in Antarctica to carry out annual maintenance of its CTBT radionuclide monitoring system.

‘CTBT monitoring is active all year and can detect radioactive debris from atmospheric explosions or vented by underground or underwater nuclear explosions’ said Sandra. 

‘The data collected is forwarded by satellite to the International Data Centre in Vienna where it is compiled and released to countries participating in the CTBT.’

‘Antarctica is an important location for CTBT monitoring given the remote location and unique terrain and it was incredible to experience first-hand.’
  
In addition to radionuclide monitoring, ARPANSA also maintains four ultraviolet (UV) monitoring stations across Antarctica. 

‘The data we collect on UV Index in Antarctica provides a valuable addition to Australia’s UV data’ said Stuart Henderson. 

‘This trip allowed us to perform maintenance on our UV sensors in Antarctica and implement new measures to protect sensors from subzero temperatures.’ 

The UV data collected through ARPANSA’s monitoring network is available in a real-time UV index chart on the ARPANSA website. 

The trip was part of a program led by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to conduct scientific research and support the conservation of the continent’s unique environment.

Read more: http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/mawson/this-we…

Dr Ken Karipidis, Assistant Director Assessment and Advice at ARPANSA, has been appointed to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for the term of 2020 to 2024. 

ICNIRP is a body of independent scientific experts who provide information and advice on potential adverse effects of non-ionising radiation. ICNIRP is affiliated with the World Health Organization and is regarded as the leading global authority on non-ionising radiation protection. 

In providing information and advice to the Australian community about the harmful effects of radiation, ARPANSA takes into account international best practice in radiation protection and nuclear safety, which includes considering advice produced by ICNIRP.

The duties of ICNIRP include developing recommendations and guidelines and cultivating cooperation with other organisations in the field of non-ionising radiation protection. The majority of countries, including Australia, formulate their national standards for non-ionising radiation protection based on guidelines and advice from ICNIRP.

Commission members are supported by other international experts in various project groups that investigate specific areas of non-ionising radiation protection.

Dr Karipidis has previously worked with ICNIRP as Chair or member of various project groups including the review of intended human exposure to non-ionising radiation for cosmetic purposes. Ken joined ARPANSA in 2000 and has qualifications in Physics and Epidemiology. His appointment to the Commission acknowledges his expertise in the field of non-ionising radiation protection.

‘I am honoured to be appointed a member of the Commission. I look forward to contributing further to the international body of knowledge on non-ionising radiation protection,’ said Dr Karipidis. 

Dr Karipidis replaces Professor Adèle Green, Senior Scientist at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, and member of the Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council. 

‘I want to congratulate Professor Green on her excellent contribution to ICNIRP over the past 12 years’, said Dr Karipidis, ‘her expertise will be missed, but I’m glad that Australia will continue to be represented with myself and the new Chair of ICNIRP, Professor Rodney Croft.’  
Professor Rodney Croft, past Director of the Australian Centre for Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research and Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Wollongong will commence his appointment as Chair in 2020.

The new term of office commences in May 2020. 

About Dr Ken Karipidis:
Dr Ken Karipidis is the Assistant Director of ARPANSA’s Assessment and Advice Section, providing expert advice and information on radiation protection to government, the public and other relevant stakeholders. With over 19 years of experience in the radiation protection field, Dr Karipidis has published multiple research papers and has been a member of numerous national and international committees including the World Health Organization’s Environmental Health Criteria Task Group on Radiofrequency Fields, the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Interagency Committee on the Health Effects of Non-Ionising Fields and the Australian Government’s Committee on Electromagnetic Energy Public Health Issues. Dr Karipidis has completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours), Master of Science (Physics) and is a Doctor of Philosophy (Epidemiology).