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ARPANSA clinical audit service recognised for service to the community

26 November 2024

ARPANSA’s Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS) was highlighted as a case study in the 2023-2024 Australian Public Service Commission State of the Service Report, which was tabled in parliament on 26 November 2024.

ARPANSA’s Chief Medical Radiation Scientist, Dr Ivan Williams, says inclusion of the ACDS profile by the Australian Public Service Commission reflects the value of this service to the wider Australian community.

‘ACDS is the only radiotherapy audit program in Australia that is recognised by national and international oncology groups,’ Dr Williams said.

‘Around 90,000 Australians will receive radiotherapy this year. These patients and their families rely on us to make sure their treatment is safe.

‘Our audits have identified issues and resulted in significant changes to clinical practice that have reduced actual or potential clinical hazards.

This is the second year in a row that ARPANSA’s work to protect the people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation has been showcased in this report.

‘ARPANSA’s work provides an important contribution to patient safety and trust in quality care,’ Dr Williams said.

The recent Trust in Australian public services: 2024 annual report found that levels of trust remained stable, with 58% of respondents indicating that they trust public services. Trust in specific services, like ACDS, remained stable at 71%.

Australian Government entities, including ARPANSA, work extensively with non-government organisations, industry and research institutions to identify and respond to community needs. ARPANSA’s ACDS provides an important services to protect workers, patients and carers from the harmful effects of radiation.

In the last financial year, the ACDS delivered a program of 99 dosimetry audits, including 46 remote audits and 53 onsite audits covering the full range of radiotherapy treatment units and techniques.

Further information:

A recent review assessed evidence on links between radon exposure and health outcomes apart from lung cancer

Article review date

November 2024

Article publication date

September 2024

Summary

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the association between radon exposure and health effects other than lung cancer in human populations. A total of 129 studies, published during 1990-2023, were included in the review and 40 studies were used in the meta-analysis. Risk estimates such as risk ratio (RR) per 100 units (Bq/m³ or Working level Month) of increased radon exposure level were calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A range of health outcomes, including cancers (except lung cancer) and non-cancerous diseases were considered in the evaluation. The quality of the included studies were jointly evaluated using the New-castle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the UNSCEAR’s approach of assessing quality of studies (including ecological studies) (UNSCEAR, 2017, p 48, table 3).The meta-analyses generally showed no statistically significant positive association for any health outcomes. Some of the estimated risk ratios were positive with the significance level near the threshold for statistical significance including lympho-hematological cancer incidence in children (RR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00-1.03; p = 0.08); malignant melanoma mortality in adults in the general population (RR = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.99-1.21; p = 0.07); liver cancer mortality (RR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.00-1.10; p = 0.06), and intestine and rectal cancer mortality combined among mine workers (RR = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00-1.04; p = 0.06). The included studies had moderate to high quality scores. In conclusion, this review showed an absence of statistically significant associations between radon exposure and potential health outcomes other than lung cancer however, these effects cannot be ruled out.

Published in

Frontiers in Public Health

Link to study

A recent review assessed evidence on links between radon exposure and health outcomes apart from lung cancer

ARPANSA commentary:

The overall conclusion of the review indicates no significant association between radon exposure and a range of health outcomes other than lung cancer in children and adult populations. Importantly, this review contributes to the body of knowledge on the potential health effects (both malignant and non-malignant diseases) of radon exposure in occupational and residential settings. Comparison of the findings of this review with other studies was not possible due to a lack of similar published reviews. Of the epidemiological studies included (except those on miners related to occupational radon) in this review, a majority of them related to children and adults were ecological studies, which may lead to ecological fallacy. There were several methodological limitations of the included studies, such as assessment of radon exposure and health outcomes as well as accounting for potential confounders which may alter the risk estimation. Therefore, further well-designed epidemiological research using robust radon exposure assessment tools and methods are needed to evaluate the potential risk of radon exposure for a range of population health outcomes. Some limitations of the study were: the inclusion of few studies in the meta-analysis of the exposure-risk relationships may have resulted in a lack of statistical power, significant heterogeneity was estimated in studies on occupational exposure to radon which limits the interpretation of the risk estimates and meta-regressions/in-depth sensitivity analyses was not done to evaluate the sources of heterogeneity due to the limited number of included studies. The review also did not conduct a certainty in evidence assessment which is another limitation.

According to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s (ARPANSA) nationwide survey of Australian homes, the average radon exposure level in Australian homes is much lower than the global average. Consequently, residential radon exposure is not expected to be a significant contributor to any health risk other than lung cancer in Australia. ARPANSA has a fact sheet on ionising radiation exposure doses, including natural sources such as radon, and health. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has published guidance on radiological protection against radon exposure.

ARPANSA develops international film dosimetry audits

11 November 2024

Medical physicists at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) have worked with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to develop a global radiotherapy audit method.

The project was led by experts at ARPANSA’s Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service – Dr Sabeena Beveridge and Dr Andrew Alves.

Dr Alves says ARPANSA developed a quality assurance method to accurately calculate the radiotherapy dose and treatment placement. He says this will make quality radiation treatment accessible to all patients irrespective of where they live.

‘The IAEA called upon ARPANSA’s expertise in radiotherapy dose auditing to publish a verification method that can be used around the world to test the accuracy of film dosimetry,’ Dr Alves said.

‘We recommended film dosimetry because when employed accurately it is inexpensive, easy to use, widely available and, crucially, can test that the radiation dose will be directed at the cancerous tumor and not at healthy organs in the body.’

Film dosimetry works because when exposed to radiation doses, the specialised film changes colour.

These films are placed inside models of the human body, called phantoms, which are exposed to radiation. The films are then taken out of the models and analysed by scientists.

Approximately 80,000 Australians received radiotherapy treatment in the last year, with numbers continuing to increase over time.

As the Australian Government’s primary radiation protection authority, ARPANSA supports accuracy in cancer care ensuring that radiotherapy is accurate through our audit program.

Read more about this work in an article published in Medical Physics.

ARPANSA Annual Report for 2023-24 tabled

25 October 2024

The 2023-24 Annual Report of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has been tabled in Parliament and is now available to read on our website and the Federal Government's Transparency Portal.

The report covers the activities of ARPANSA and its supporting committees, as well as the agency’s performance against key activities and financial objectives.

ARPANSA’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Gillian Hirth AO reflected that the past year has been one of significant change, driven by ARPANSA’s continued engagement and support of Australia's nuclear-powered submarine capability stewardship arrangements.

‘I am proud that staff have risen to meet the challenge of substantial new programs of work, all the while maintaining our ongoing commitment to delivering regulatory excellence, radiological protection and community engagement,’ said Dr Hirth.

This last year also saw an expansion in ARPANSA’s remit, as the agency faced a higher than usual volume of complex regulatory assessments due to planned works at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Lucas Heights facilities. ARPANSA also received a licence application from the Australian Submarine Agency to prepare a site for a controlled industrial facility. Public consultations and regulatory approvals were key components of ARPANSA's oversight during this period.

This was delivered alongside the agency’s unwavering commitment to our business-as-usual activities, which ensure we are protecting the Australian public and environment from the harmful effects of radiation. Some highlights included:

ARPANSA’s engagement in international nuclear security, research and health advice, and engagement with Pacific nations
ongoing work in the provision of risk management and mitigation relating to a radiological or nuclear incident
enhancement of our regulatory systems and alignment with international best practice
a deep dive into ARPANSA’s approach to fostering innovation in the workplace.

Read the full ARPANSA Annual Report 2023-24 on the Transparency Portal.

ARPANSA scientist provides radio wave measurement expertise to international study

7 October 2024

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) scientist Dr Chhavi Bhatt has contributed to a European study that reviewed radio wave measurement methods and practices.

‘ARPANSA uses the highest quality radio wave measurement tools available, but not all agencies globally have the same access to the specialised equipment that we do,’ Dr Bhatt said.

‘This review found there is a need for lower cost equipment that is accessible to more scientists to measure radio waves.’

Dr Stuart Henderson leads ARPANSA’s radio wave and UV exposure measurement programs.

‘While our studies have shown that exposure to radio waves is well within the safety limit, ARPANSA will continue to study radio wave exposure from wireless technologies to evaluate exposure,’ Dr Henderson said.

‘Being able to accurately measure radiation exposure in communities is crucial in ensuring public safety and investigating potential health effects of radio waves.’

In 2023, Dr Bhatt and Dr Henderson published a peer-reviewed paper that surveyed radio wave exposure across Melbourne.

The paper found that exposure was well below the safety limits.

ARPANSA is currently conducting radio wave measurements in regional areas.

As the Australian Government’s primary radiation protection authority, ARPANSA provides evidence-based health advice to government and the community on radio wave exposure.

ARPANSA has published a range of radiation exposure surveys and studies on its website: https://www.arpansa.gov.au/research-and-expertise/surveys  

You can access the European consortium paper that Dr Bhatt contributed to at Environmental Research.

ARPANSA invites community feedback on environmental values

23 September 2023

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is seeking feedback from stakeholders and community members to provide input into community values for environmental monitoring and assessment.

Input from members of the public will help ensure ARPANSA’s monitoring programs, including our ultraviolet (UV) measurements and radionuclide monitoring activities, take into account the needs and values of the wider community. A set of proposed values for environmental monitoring and assessment are available for feedback.

The proposed values are:

Ecosystem health - the overall health and integrity of the ecosystem and wildlife populations.
Cultural and spiritual heritage - protecting traditional land use and sites of importance to First Nations peoples.
Food and drinking water safety - food and water are safe for consumption.
Clean air - air is safe for human activities in the environment.
Recreation and environment - recreation activities can be enjoyed safely.
Economic activity - a safe environment for industrial use and economic benefit.
Public advice - relevant and accurate information to support decision making.

The feedback survey is available on the ARPANSA website and is open until 11.59pm Thursday 31 October 2024.

Survey responses will be used to validate and refine the community values to be considered in ARPANSA monitoring programs to ensure they accurately reflect the values of the Australian public.

Participate in the community survey: https://consult.arpansa.gov.au/hub/ema-survey-2024/

WHO systematic review finds no evidence that RF-EMF exposure impacts cognitive performance

Literature review date

September 2024

Article publication date

July 2024

Summary

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME) on cognitive performance in human experimental studies. The review included 50 studies in the meta-analysis (2,433 participants) from 15 countries that were conducted between 2001 and 2021. It assessed cognitive performance of five (of the 7) cognitive domains (Orientation and attention, Perception, Memory, Construction and motor performance, and Concept formation and reasoning), including 19 (of 35) cognitive domain subclasses as defined by Lezak et al (2004). Each subclass was assessed based on the speed and accuracy of the participant performing tasks associated with that particular subclass (attentional capacity, concentration, etc). Most of the included studies used 2G-era mobile phone RF EME as the exposure source. Certainty of evidence and risk of bias were also evaluated according to OHAT-GRADE approach.

The authors reported no statistically significant results, indicating that RF-EME exposure has not impact on cognitive performance on human in experimental studies for all of the 19 subclasses tested. However, the certainty in these results ranged from high to low. Three of the 19 subclasses were not able to be tested for both speed and accuracy. Of 35 meta-analyses performed on the subclasses, a majority (20) of them provided high certainty of evidence that RF EME exposure results in little to no difference in cognitive outcome. The evidence on the effect of RF EME on the remaining 16 subclasses of the cognitive domains was uncertain. This uncertainty was due to limitations in the study quality, inconsistency in the results or imprecision of the combined effect size estimate. Overall, the review reported no evidence that RF EME exposure impacts cognitive performance.

Link to

The effect of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on cognitive performance in human experimental studies: Systematic review and meta-analyses

Published in

Environment International

ARPANSA commentary

The overall conclusion of the review was that RF EME exposure does not impact cognitive performance in human experimental studies. This systematic review is the most comprehensive that has been published on this topic as it considered all cognitive domains and people of all ages. Other recent reviews and meta-analyses have had similar outcomes (Valentini et al, 2010; Barth et al ,2011; Zubko et al, 2017) reporting no impact of mobile phone frequencies on short term cognitive performance. However, these studies only examined a few cognitive domains including, attention, processing speed and working memory. Further, these reviews did not assess the quality or risk of bias of their included studies in the same manner as this systematic review. For example, Barth et al (2011) performed no quality assessment; Valentini et al (2010) used a simple assessment that assessed the blinding, participant selection, exposure assessment and statistics used. Zubko et al (2017) did use the risk of bias tool developed by OHAT, however, it did not assess the certainty of the evidence according to the GRADE approach.

This review is part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ongoing project assessing the health effects of RF-EMF. ARPANSA is supporting this WHO review process. One of the WHO systematic reviews has examined the long-term impacts on cognition of RF EME exposure (Benke et al 2024). This review was conducted in Australia and was co-led by ARPANSA scientists. This systematic review also reported that RF EME had no consistent impact on cognition.

Overall, the results from this systematic review are consistent with previous research and ARPANSA’s scientific understanding that exposure to RF EME below the limits in the ARPANSA RF safety standard do not cause health impacts, including cognitive outcomes.

Extracting feedback on new dental code

2 September 2024

Stakeholder comments are being sought for an updated radiation protection code related to dental exposures.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Agency (ARPANSA) is updating the Code of Practice and Safety Guide for Radiation Protection in Dentistry (2005) to ensure it remains consistent with international best practice. The code’s purpose is to set out the national requirements for the protection of patients and workers exposed to radiation used in dentistry.

Public consultation on the draft code is open from Monday 2 September to Monday 12 October 2024. The new document will be called the Code of Practice for Radiation Protection in Dentistry. It is intended that the code will be supplemented with an updated safety guide in the future.

ARPANSA’s code is based on the International Commission on Radiation Protection’s (ICRP) principles and exposure limits. They are regarded as the preeminent international radiation protection authority, and their publications help inform our national regulations governing the exposure of radiation workers and the public.

The code will represent an agreed position for the Australian State and Territory regulators and practitioners to adopt when their requirements are updated.

ARPANSA is particularly interested in feedback from dental practitioners and regulators but also from the wider community.

You can read the draft updated code at our consultation hub.

Submissions close 11.59pm 12 October 2024. Have your say by visiting the ARPANSA Consultation Hub for more information.

WHO review finds no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer

4 September 2024

A World Health Organization commissioned systematic review into the potential health effects from radio wave exposure finds no association between mobile phone use and head cancers.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s (ARPANSA) A/Prof Ken Karipidis, who led this review, says that it is the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the evidence to date.

‘When the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radio wave exposure as a possible carcinogen to humans in 2013 it was largely based on limited evidence from human observational studies,’ A/Prof Karipidis said.

‘This systematic review of human observational studies is based on a much larger dataset compared to that examined by the IARC, that also includes more recent and more comprehensive studies, so we can be more confident that exposure to radio waves from wireless technology is not a human health hazard.’

The World Health Organization is currently preparing an Environmental Health Criterion Monograph on the health effects from radio wave exposure.

That monograph will draw on this systematic review and others commissioned by the World Health Organization.

‘Health effects from wireless technology is one of the most researched health topics,’ A/Prof Karipidis said.

‘Our review considered over 5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022, of which 63 were included in the final analysis.

‘The findings of this systematic review align with previous research conducted by ARPANSA showing that, although the use of wireless technology has massively increased in the last 20 years, there has been no rise in the incidence of brain cancers.’

As the Australian Government’s primary radiation protection authority, ARPANSA will continue to undertake research and assess all the available scientific evidence that underpins its radio wave exposure standard and public health advice.

Read a research summary of this systematic review on our website.

Access the full journal article in Environment International.

New home for Antarctic radionuclide monitoring station

29 August 2024

Environmental monitoring scientists from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) recently travelled to Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic to inspect the new home of a radionuclide monitoring facility and revalidate the station.

ARPANSA cooperates with the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office to carry out Australia's radionuclide monitoring obligations to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) – an agreement ratified by Australia in 1998 that bans nuclear explosions and testing.

Treaty compliance is monitored through the installation, implementation, and operation of Australian monitoring stations spread across the country, Fiji, Kiribati and Antarctica.

ARPANSA’s Monitoring Networks Director, David Hardman, says radionuclide monitoring at Macquarie Island is important in ensuring Australia’s international obligations to the CTBT are met as the sub Antarctic stations forms an essential part of the International Monitoring System.

‘Our recent trip to the Australian Antarctic Program’s research station on Macquarie Island allowed us to work closely with our CTBT Organization colleagues in revalidating the station, making sure it meets the high standards set for the International Monitoring System.’

‘Moving our equipment into the new location with its upgraded facilities helps ensure the ongoing smooth operations of the station’, said Mr Hardman.

The global monitoring network applies several technologies to detect and ensure that no nuclear explosion goes undetected.

The radionuclide monitoring process takes place over a number of days and involves collecting particulate matter from the air onto a filter which is compressed into a disc for analysis and storage.

The data collected from the sample is forwarded by satellite to the International Data Centre in Vienna where it is processed and distributed to the CTBT Organization’s Member States.

To learn more about the CTBT program and ARPANSAs involvement with the Treaty, visit https://www.arpansa.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/international-collaboration/ctbt

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