IAEA Programme on the Identification and Remediation of Contaminated Nuclear Sites

Worldwide, there are hundreds of radioactively contaminated sites as a result of past civilian and defence nuclear activities. Radioactive contamination of soil and groundwater has resulted from, inter alia, producing and processing nuclear materials, weapons testing, poor waste management and disposal practices, accidental spills, and severe accidents such as the one at Chernobyl. In addition, past practices at abandoned facilities where radioactive substances were used (e.g., radium factories) and leftover materials from mining and processing ores have also resulted in man-made increases to levels of natural radiation. Owing to the potential negative impact of these radioactively contaminated sites on the environment and human health, their remediation (cleanup) and eventual restoration for alternative use is a high priority in many of the affected countries. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a programme aimed at assisting its Member States in the environmental restoration of radioactively contaminated sites. The programme emphasises the identification and transfer of relevant technical information and technology to member states seeking solutions to their environmental problems. The principal contributions of this programme include technical publications on selected aspects of the environmental restoration of radioactively contaminated sites; technical assistance; support for research projects; and the development of an international registry of radioactively contaminated sites in the medium term.