16 April 2025

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998  
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 2018

As required by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), the CEO of ARPANSA gives notice she intends to make a decision under section 32 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act) regarding the following application for a facility licence:  

Application No. A01098 by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to prepare a site for a nuclear installation, specifically a facility to manufacture nuclear medicines for the treatment of Australians, to be known as the ‘ANSTO Nuclear Medicine Manufacturing Facility’ (NMMF), at the Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre in Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234. 

The NMMF is intended to replace the existing ANSTO facility currently used to produce nuclear medicines.

An overview of this licence application is now available for public comment through our Consultation Hub. Submissions close at 11:59pm on 28 May 2025.  

A community information session will be held online on Wednesday, 30 April, from 6.30pm.

To register for the information session, for more information, or to provide a submission on the licence application, please visit https://consult.arpansa.gov.au/hub/ansto-nmmf-sitinglicence/

Publication date:

January 2025

Published in:

Bioelectromagnetics

ARPANSA review: 

22 March 2025

Summary

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed whether mobile phone associated electromagnetic fields (EMF) affect brain activity measurements such as resting state wake electroencephalogram (EEG) and event‐related potentials (ERP). A total of 51 studies were included in the review and 12 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The effect of EMF exposure on the outcomes of EEG and ERP measurements as well as visual and auditory discrimination was investigated. A risk of bias (ROB) assessment was undertaken for the included studies. Meta-analysis results were estimated as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The meta-analysis showed that mobile phone exposure related to 2G significantly affected the alpha band of the EEG [SMD 0.16 (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.32)]. For the other assessed outcomes such as visual discrimination and auditory discrimination, the meta-analysis did not show significant results. The ROB assessment of the included studies mostly showed either moderate or high risk indicating some concerns. Further, a meta‐analysis for most outcomes could not be conducted due to large heterogeneity among studies. 

Link to the study

Commentary by ARPANSA:

This review and meta-analysis presented in the article indicate that EMF exposure affects the alpha band of the EEG. Alpha band oscillations are a distinctive feature of the EEG when awake and play a prominent role in human brain activity (Klimesch, 1999). However, the review and meta-analysis present some notable limitations. Some studies included in the review did not report appropriate measures of RF-EMF exposure (e.g., power density or specific absorption rate). This compromises RF-EMF characterisation in the included studies however the ROB assessment tool used in this study  does not seem to address this (Sterne et al., 2019).  The review also did not undertake a certainty in evidence assessment, which is an important aspect of a properly conducted systematic review. As noted in the article, future studies should be performed with more robust experimental designs such as adhering to the methodological standard of randomized experiments, double blinding and improved EMF exposure characterisation. Without these improvements, the scientific basis for substantiating other human physiological effects of EMF may continue to be inadequate. 

Based on the current scientific evidence, and consistent with the findings of this review, it is the assessment of ARPANSA that there is no substantiated evidence that mobile phone use (resulting in radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposures at levels below the limits set in the ARPANSA Safety Standard) cause any adverse human health effects, including in the brain.

28 March 2025

The national code that ensures radiation safety for patients and workers at dental clinics has been updated following international scientific assessment showing exposures in the dentist’s chair are very low.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has published the new radiation protection code for the dental industry following an internal review and stakeholder consultation last year.  

ARPANSA’s Chief Medical Radiation Scientist, Dr Ivan Williams, says the agency regularly reviews and updates its codes to make sure they are aligned with international best practice. 

‘Dental imaging X-rays are often used as part of general dental examinations and/or diagnosis. Dental radiation exposure is extremely low, and very unlikely to have health effects; however, it is still important to have regulatory oversight to ensure that dental doses continue to remain low, and to provide assurance to the community,’ Dr Williams said. 

‘We work with eminent authorities like the International Commission on Radiological Protection and the International Atomic Energy Agency whose protection principles and exposure limits form the basis for our national regulations governing the exposure of radiation to workers and the public,’ Dr Williams said. 

‘As the Australian Government’s primary radiation protection authority, we also work with state and territory regulators to implement this code, so it is applied consistently across the country for the safety of patients and workers.  

‘While the dental code has changed, the underlying dental safety guidelines are still under review but remain relevant. Practitioners can continue to follow their current protection measures,’ he said.  

Dr Williams says the agency is working with state and territory representatives and industry to review the safety guidelines. 

‘We expect there will be minor changes to safety guidelines reflecting the advances in dental imaging optimisation and confirming the very low radiation risks. ’ 

‘Patients and workers can be assured that regulatory guidance remains appropriate for contemporary dental practice.’ 

As the Commonwealth Government’s primary radiation protection authority, ARPANSA develops codes, standards, guides and provides advice to support radiation protection and nuclear safety throughout Australia.  

26 March 2025

Radiation protection authorities in Ghana and Sri Lanka have received thousands of dosimeters from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to help keep radiation workers in these countries safe. 

Wearing dosimeters is a workplace safety practice that measures and tracks radiation exposure. 

This ensures that individuals working with or near radiation sources do not exceed safe dose limits.

Sri Lanka’s Atomic Energy Board Director General, Champika Nirosh Dharmapala, says that with this equipment, they will be able to develop a personal radiation monitoring service like ARPANSA’s.

‘This contribution makes a meaningful impact on our operations and brings us closer to our goal of providing high-quality radiation protection services to all radiation workers in Sri Lanka,’ he said. 

‘It significantly expands the reach and reliability of our Individual Monitoring Service Laboratory, ensuring better radiation safety for professionals working with ionising radiation.’ 

ARPANSA’s Personal Radiation Monitoring Service Director, Lynnette Reid-Price, says it's important people wear dosimeters as they provide assurance that organisational safety processes work.

‘Australia’s latest occupational exposure data shows that radiation doses in the workplace are highly controlled and remain well below safety limits,’ Ms Reid-Price said.

‘Donating functional equipment that we no longer use in Australia aligns with our core role to protect people and the environment. 

‘We’re thrilled to see these monitors have a second life protecting people from radiation and providing workers with peace of mind in Sri Lanka and Ghana.’

ARPANSA recently upgraded the dosimeters used in the Personal Radiation Monitoring Service. They worked with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in December 2024 to donate surplus stock to Ghana and Sri Lanka. 

As the Australian Government’s primary radiation authority, ARPANSA works with leading international authorities like the IAEA to promote and implement best-practice radiation safety practices across the world for workers and the public. 

How do dosimeters work?

A worker is assigned their own dosimeter to wear whenever they may be exposed to ionising radiation. The dosimeter records the accumulated dose over a set time period. 

This allows for a record to be kept of each employee’s accumulated dose. The dosimeter can then be reset and used again.

The dosimeters donated by ARPANSA will be used by Ghanian and Sri Lankan authorities to augment their occupational radiation monitoring programs.

Article publication date

8 March 2025

ARPANSA review date

March 2025

Summary

This European study reports on the creation of a new Job exposure matrix (JEM) for solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure to outdoor workers. The JEM was created by combining occupational UVR exposure measurements with estimations of the time workers spend outdoors. The exposure measurements were sourced from 12 studies published between 2005 and 2022 which detailed personal UVR exposure for 49 different occupations. The JEM estimates also included an expert assessment rating representing 3 regions of Europe based on latitude (Northern, Central and Southern Europe). The expert assessment rated the average duration of outdoor work for 372 occupations as 0, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, or ≥5 hours per workday. These exposure times were then adjusted based on latitude and on the time of the year (spring, summer, autumn or winter). This JEM will be able to be used in epidemiological studies to estimate occupational UVR exposure when participants’ work histories, and the latitude of worksites and time of year is known. 

Published in

Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 2025

Link to study

A European job-exposure matrix for solar UV exposure 

Commentary by ARPANSA

This study provides the details of the first quantitative measurement-based JEM for UVR exposure. This JEM will improve occupational assessment of UVR exposure in epidemiological studies. However, there are a number of limitations of the JEM, in particular, that 86% of included occupations are not based on measurements, but on expert assessment alone. Other JEMs that have characterised occupational UVR exposure have been solely based on expert assessment (Kauppinen et al, 2009; Peters et al, 2012) and this makes it difficult to accurately quantify exposure–response relationships in subsequent epidemiological studies.

In Australia the impact of UVR exposure has been assessed previously based on ambient UVR at specific latitudes or based on region (Green et al, 1996; Lucas et al, 2013; Sun et al, 2014). This type of exposure characterisation may not accurately reflect UVR exposure due to worker behaviours or other occupational factors. The use of a UVR JEM could improve the exposure characterisation and provide a better understanding of how occupational UV impacts diseases like skin cancer in Australia. However, a different JEM for Australian workers would be required for this purpose as this study restricts its analysis to defined latitudes of Europe. There are distinct differences in UV intensity between latitudes and also between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Australia has some of the highest rates of melanoma and skin cancer in the world and two-thirds of Australians will receive a skin cancer diagnosis of some type in their lifetime. As such, skin cancers, including melanoma, continue to constitute a large public health burden. One of the best way for Australian to protect themselves from the sun is by following the Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide messaging. More information on UV protection can be found on the ARPANSA Sun Protection factsheet. 

Article publication date

January 2025

ARPANSA review date

26 February 2025

Summary

This systematic review evaluated the association between exposure to low dose ionising radiation (LDIR) and thyroid function among occupational populations. A total of 15 studies (6 case-control studies and 9 cohort studies) published between 1997 and 2022, which included a total of 1,040,763 participants, were included in the review. The effect on thyroid function were evaluated in terms of risk of thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules, and changes in thyroid hormones. Quality assessment of the included studies was also conducted according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A qualitative evaluation of the studies was conducted to assess the effect of LDIR on thyroid function. The review showed some evidence of increased thyroid gland volume and nodule formation following the exposure to LDIR, however, this was not shown with certainty. The studies showed a reduction in triiodothyronine (fT3) and an increase or reduction in thyroxine (fT4), while thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level did not change following the exposure. Based on the analysis in the review, the authors conclude that even at low doses the function of the thyroid is negatively affected. 

Published in

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Link to study

Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation and Thyroid Diseases and Functional Modifications in Exposed Workers: A Systematic Review 

Commentary by ARPANSA

This review provides an evaluation of whether thyroid function changes following occupational exposure to LDIR. The findings indicate that exposure to LDIR may be a potential risk factor for some aspects of thyroid function. The study shows a few strengths and limitations, which should be considered while interpretating the findings of the review. The review presents only a narrative synthesis of results evaluating multiple health outcomes of thyroid gland e.g., cancer, nodules, and hormones in relation to LDIR exposure; and quantitative meta-analyses of the included studies were not conducted. The cohort studies included in the review had a relatively large sample size. 

The quality assessment of the included studies showed moderate quality, however, the review did not conduct a risk of bias (ROB) assessment of the included studies. ROB assessment has been regarded as an essential critical step in a systematic review to inform the findings and interpretation of the review (NHMRC, 2019). It should be noted that the NOS quality assessment involves the evaluation of the extent to which included studies were designed, conducted, analysed, and reported to avoid systematic errors; while ROB assessment involves the evaluation of bias judgments based on the quality assessment (Furuya-Kanamori et al., 2021). The review also did not undertake a certainty in evidence assessment, which is another important aspect of a properly conducted systematic review. Similarly, although the included studies represent some heterogeneity, it was not assessed in the review. For example, the included studies were conducted in diverse occupational setting (e.g., hospital, nuclear power plants, war industry, and barracks) where the approach to collecting workers’ data would have been different. The findings highlighted in the review are consistent with some comparable studies (e.g., Gudzenko et al., 2022; El-Benhawy et al., 2022; Cioffi et al., 2020). However, there are no similar data available to compare these findings in the Australian context. It is unclear if the review accounted for potential differences in calculating the dose to the thyroid; for example, changes in radiation weighting factors (e.g., ICRP60 to ICRP103), changes in dose conversion factors (e.g., ICRP68 to ICRP137) or inference of thyroid doses based on whole body monitoring. It is our assessment that there is insufficient evidence within this review to definitively conclude that thyroid function is adversely affected by LDIR.

In Australia, The Code for Radiation Protection in Planned Exposure Situations  sets out the requirements for the protection of occupationally exposed persons in all planned exposure situations. All Australian jurisdictions have uniform annual limits (20 mSv) for occupational exposure to ionising radiation. In addition to the dose limits, optimisation of radiation protection and safety involves practising ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ (ALARA) considering economic and societal factors. The Australian system for radiation protection from ionising radiation is closely aligned with international best practice as laid out in the Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

Date of review by ARPANSA

February 2025

Article publication date

February 2025

Summary

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) have published a new document that outlines gaps in scientific knowledge that are relevant to setting limiting values for exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). To maintain relevance to exposure guidelines, the ICNIRP specifically highlighted gaps in knowledge where there exists sufficient support in the scientific literature for a link between RF-EMF exposure and an endpoint and between that endpoint and health. These gaps were identified during the development of the 2020 guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz) and with consideration of literature that has been published since. 

The identified research gaps cover shortfalls in knowledge in various areas of dosimetry and on adverse effect exposure thresholds for eye damage, contact currents and heat-induced pain. The document also provides brief analyses on other topical areas of research related to RF-EMF and health outcomes while additionally providing justifications for why they are not prioritised in the identified research gaps.

Commentary by ARPANSA

Although research into health outcomes related to RF-EMF covers an extremely broad cross-section of various aspects of health, currently there are only a few effects that have been substantiated by the scientific literature. ICNIRP’s statement does not aim to establish new links between RF-EMF exposure and health outcomes but to further inform the numerical levels and exposure assessment methodology of the existing guidelines. Additional research investigating other health outcomes is ongoing and such research is warranted but it is not of immediate relevance to setting exposure guidelines. The state of the science in these other areas is best summarised by the set of systematic reviews that have been recently published as part of an ongoing World Health Organization project reviewing the topic.

The Australian radiofrequency standard RPS-S1 outlines limit values for RF-EMF exposure in Australia. RPS-S1 is aligned with the ICNRIP 2020 guidelines mentioned above. ARPANSA continues to monitor and evaluate research developments to ensure that the limits outlined in RPS-S1 remain fit for purpose and are aligned with international best practice. ARPANSA has research recommendations, and a research framework that informs how and what research should be conducted in Australia. These recommendations are part of the ARPANSA EME action plan that aims to promote health and safety and address misinformation about EME emissions. 

26 February 2025

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 2018

As required by subsection 48(2) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 2018, the CEO of ARPANSA hereby gives notice of her intention to make a decision under section 32 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 regarding the following application for a facility licence: 

Application No. A0347 by the Department of Defence to operate a prescribed radiation facility at Port Wakefield in South Australia.

The facility is an industrial X-ray machine called a linear accelerator that uses electricity to generate the X-ray beams to image materials and equipment.  The 4 MeV Linear Accelerator, replaces the previously decommissioned linear accelerator used for the same purpose in Port Wakefield, South Australia, by the applicant. 

 

27 February 2025

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) recently delivered a comprehensive five-day training workshop to expand its emergency response capabilities.

ARPANSA scientist, Callum Watson, said the training was informed by insights gained from an ARPANSA-led response to a radiological incident in Western Australia in January 2023. 

‘One of the key learnings from that incident was the importance of real-time radiation measurement data transfer and effective field communications. This was integrated into the training curriculum,’ said Mr Watson.

Conducted in collaboration with the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), ARPANSA participants gained extensive knowledge about how to use the Spectral Advanced Radiological Computer System (SPARCS).

SPARCS is radiation detection equipment and software that ARPANSA uses when responding to radiation emergencies. ‘A capstone of the training was a two-phase simulated source recovery exercise. This practical exercise allowed participants to apply and practice their newly acquired skills in a controlled and realistic environment,’ said Mr Watson. 

The exercise also marked a leap in ARPANSA’s technical capabilities – the Australian Government’s primary radiation protection authority now has additional vehicle-mountable detector units capable of simultaneously transmitting real time data to a central platform for analysis and support.

ARPANSA senior executive, Dr Ivan Williams, says that regular training exercises like this keep ARPANSA at the forefront of radiological emergency management. 

‘This training not only improves our agency's technical prowess but also strengthens our collaboration with international partners, ensuring a cohesive and robust response to future incidents,’ said Dr Williams.

ARPANSA is the Australian Government’s lead agency for any national radiation or nuclear emergencies. 

For more information about ARPANSA's emergency response initiatives, please visit https://www.arpansa.gov.au/research/radiation-emergency-preparedness-and-response

Date of review by ARPANSA

February 2025

Article publication date

1 February 2025

Summary

This study measured the personal radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposures associated with mobile networks (including 5G) across different micro-environments in Switzerland. The exposure was measured during three different mobile use scenarios: with an inactive device (environmental), while a device is continuously uploading (max UL) and while a device is continuously downloading (max DL). The highest levels were measured during the max UL measurements, particularly in rural micro-environments. Compared to environmental exposure (e.g., median 1 mW/m² for urban business areas), exposure levels increased considerably during the max DL measurements due to the 5G band at 3.5 GHz mostly in urban areas (e.g., median 12 mW/m² in an industrial area). The highest RF-EMF levels (e.g., median 37 mW/m² in a rural centre) were observed during the max UL scenarios in rural areas. In conclusion, inducing mobile DL and UL traffic networks substantially increased personal RF-EMF exposures. 

Published in

Environmental Research

Link to the study

Exploring RF-EMF levels in Swiss microenvironments: An evaluation of environmental and auto-induced downlink and uplink exposure in the era of 5G 

ARPANSA's commentary

This study generated new knowledge by pioneering an activity-based approach to exposure assessment. The findings indicate the relevance of including near-field and far-field personal exposures to estimate cumulative RF-EMF exposures in future epidemiological studies. This has been highlighted in some recent literature (e.g., van Wel et al., 2021; Birks et al., 2021), which estimated personal RF-EMF exposures originating from near-field RF-EMF sources. A key strength of this study is that it characterized exposures associated with different types of mobile use scenarios such as no mobile phone use, and phone use with continuously downloading and uploading a file. Further, this study supports the application of its methodology to a larger European study, which is expected to provide more comprehensive exposure assessments. A notable limitation of the study is that the use of the measurement device on a specific body area to estimate the personal exposure might have resulted in some measurement uncertainties. Importantly, while mobile handset originated (i.e., auto-induced UL) exposures contributed the highest amount of personal RF-EMF exposure levels, these levels lie below the safety limits recommended by the 2020 ICNIRP guidelines and Australian standard (RPS-S1). According to the standard, the general public safety limit is 2-10 W/m² depending on the operating frequency of telecommunication infrastructure. RF-EMF exposures in Australian public environments are generally far below the limits given in the standard (Henderson et al., 2023; Bhatt et al., 2024). The standard is designed to protect people of all ages and health statuses from the adverse health effects of exposure to RF-EMF exposures. Furthermore, it is ARPANSA’s assessment that such low-level RF-EMF exposures do not pose any health risk in populations.