On the current needs in European decision support tools for contaminated areas

One of the strategic objectives of the European NERIS platform on preparedness for nuclear and radiological emergency response and recovery, which was launched in 2010, is to promote exchange of information and views, and to identify needs for further technological developments in the field. An ongoing RTD activity supported by the European Commission deals with the practical implementation of the recently revised ICRP recommendations, e.g., through adaptation of the existing decision support systems ARGOS and RODOS. Examples are given of the outcome of this activity with respect to parameterisation in the decision support systems of indoor/outdoor air exchange and time budgets, considering recommendations on data sources and regional implementation, as well as the novel reference person concept. Other needs for technological developments for the decision support systems are discussed, particularly with respect to improved approaches for definition of source terms, radioecological parameters, and generic parameters to accommodate the differences between the radiological impacts of contamination originating from different types of incidents (e.g., considering the recommendations in ICRP Publication 96).