Radiation Protection and Safety is a basic skill for a nuclear engineer all over the world. Basic concepts of radioactivity, natural and man-made sources of radiation, interaction of radiation with matter and biological effects caused by radiation, radiation sources in a nuclear reactor and nuclear safety, safety of radiation applications beyond energy production, shielding, detection and measurement techniques for radiation, assessment of environmental impact, including atmospheric and aquatic dispersion of radionuclides and food chain contamination, nuclear accidents with case studies, radioactive waste, protection against non-ionising radiation.

The aim of the Course is to meet the needs of students at graduate level for training to acquire a knowledge in radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources. The course also aims to provide the necessary basic tools for those who will become professionals in radiation protection and in the safe use of radiation sources. It is designed to provide both theoretical and practical training in the multidisciplinary scientific and/or technical bases of national and international recommendations and standards on radiation protection and their implementation.

Formal education at degree or equivalent level in physics and chemistry disciplines

1. Ionizing radiation and related physical quantities. Introduction to the topics covered in the course. Main sources of radiation: natural and artificial radionuclides, x-ray machines, nuclear reactors. Fundamental physical quantities for the characterization of these sources. 2. Interaction of radiation with matter. Main phenomena of interaction of ionizing radiation with matter; Mechanisms of cell damage. 3. Radiometric and dosimetric quantities. Fundamental physical dosimetry and the relationships between them. 4. Instrumentation for the detection of ionizing radiation. Main instruments used for the detection of ionizing radiation, dosimeters for individual doses. 5. Legislation and regulations for radiation protection. Italian and international legislation. Radiation protection principles. Techniques for protection against ionizing radiation used to limit the exposure of workers and the general population. 6. Shielding. Design of shielding required in the use of x-ray machines and radioactive sources of various kinds. Use of shielding codes. 7. Environmental impact of radioactivity. Atmospheric dispersion and aquatic contamination in environmental matrices, use of codes of dispersion-dose. 8. Radiological Nuclear Safety. Nuclear accidents (Chernobyl, Fukushima, Mayak, etc..) and radiological events. Nuclear and radiological emergency management. 9. Radioactive waste. Generation, classification, and management. The Italian case. 10. Radiation protection of non-ionizing radiation (electromagnetic fields). Description, interaction with living matter, legislation, case studies. 11. Esperto qualificato (national certified radioprotection expert). Simulation of the national italian exam to be qualified, according to italian legislation, as a national certified radiation protection professional.

A practical part, dealing with the use of the radiation shielding code MICROSHIELD and the use of the dispersion-dose code GENII-FRAMES, is part of the program. After learning the use of the specified codes, the students will be divided into groups of maximum three people, and will be guided during the elaboration of a Case Report (CR), concerning a practical case (example: atmospheric or water release of a radionuclide, shielding calculations of radioactive sources, etc.). The report will be evaluated and contributes to the final grade (see grading criteria). A visit to a radiation protection lab and learning of in-field use of instrumentation is part of the program.

Lecture notes on each topic will be provided online by the teacher. The following texts are recommended: ATTIX, F.H., Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry, Wiley, New York, (1986). CEMBER, H., Introduction to Health Physics, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York (2000). FIRESTONE, R.B., BAGLIN, C.M., FRANK-CHU, S.Y. (Eds), Table of Isotopes (8th Edition, 1999 update), Wiley, New York (1999). KNOLL, G.T., Radiation Detection and Measurement, 3rd Edition, Wiley, New York (2000). C. Polvani, Elementi di Radioprotezione, ENEA, 1999. (in italian) Maurizio Pelliccioni, Fondamenti Fisici della Radioprotezione, Pitagora Editrice Bologna, 2005. (in italian)

Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula);

Exam: Written test;

... The exam is aimed at checking the student's knowledge about the topics listed in the official program of the course and his ability to apply the theory and the relative methods to answer questions dealing with Radiation Protection. The exam consists of a written test with open-ended questions on the topics contained in the course program. It aims to verify the level of knowledge and understanding of the covered topics. In particular, it aims to verify the skills specified in the "Expected learning outcomes" part. The written exam, which lasts one and a half hours, deals with three open-answer questions. Each question gets a grade going from 1 to 10. Summing up the three grades, you obtain the provisional final evaluation, which will be completed (plus or minus one point) with the evaluation of the Report CR (see Course Structure), to get the final grade. The exam is considered "pass" when the final grade is equal or higher to 18/30. During the written exam, it is not allowed to keep and consult books and notebooks. The results are communicated on the portal (through loading in the Materials section appropriate files with the grades), together with a date in which the students can participate in a collective review of the results, followed by the possibility of viewing his personal written elaborates, and ask questions.

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.