https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05680-4
Regular Article
Fire scenario in a nuclear medicine department: an impact assessment
1
Medical Physics Department, ASL Roma 6, Borgo Garibaldi 12, 00041, Rome, Italy
2
UniCamillus International Medical University, 00131, Rome, Italy
3
Italian National Institute of Health, 00161, Rome, Italy
4
INAIL - Dipartimento Medicina, Epidemiologia, Igiene del Lavoro e Ambientale, Rome, Italy
5
Ministry of Health, Via Giorgio Ribotta 5, 00144, Rome, Italy
6
Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy
7
Prevention and Protection Service, Fire Manager, ASL Roma 6, Borgo Garibaldi 12, 00041, Rome, Italy
8
CBRN Unit and Laboratories of the Lombardy Region, Italian National Fire and Rescue Service, Via Messina 39, 20153, Milano, Italy
Received:
20
March
2024
Accepted:
21
September
2024
Published online:
21
October
2024
Nuclear medicine uses radioactive compounds, called radiopharmaceuticals, for diagnosis, staging of disease, therapy and monitoring the response of a disease process. An accident involving both fire and radioactive materials has the potential to develop into a critical situation with dual risks: fire damage and the potential release of radioactive materials. The objective of this work is twofold. Firstly, it attempts to model the fire progression in a nuclear medicine facility using the well-established natural temperature–time curves proposed by the Eurocode. The second objective is to investigate how radioactive materials spread in the atmosphere after the fire, with the primary aim of evaluating the possible effects of airborne radionuclides on nearby residents and first responders who come to the scene of the accident. From the analysis conducted, key findings emerge: (I) the risk of fire in a nuclear medicine department can be considered to be low/moderate and a fire accident would likely result in a controllable and manageable scenario. (II) Additional risks that directly affect the radioactive material could arise in addition to the fire event. As a result of the high concentration of radioactive material, the radiopharmacy and the radioactive storage room are the locations that pose the highest risk. (III) According to the results of this research, the highest temperatures that could be reached during a fire, combined with effective and timely fire control, would result in a limited release of radioactive substances into the environment, with a modest impact on workers and nearby residents.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
