The impact of climate change on radiological practices in Italy: Safety implications and preventive measures

The impact of climate change is more and more burdensome, not only because extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity, but also because the severity of the impact depends on the vulnerability of the system. In particular, radiological hazards due to extreme weather events and climate-related disasters in hospitals and in many industries should be considered and possibly implemented into risk management policies. In the present study, the impact of climate change on human activities involving ionizing radiations in Italy is analyzed. Therefore, different scenarios related to extreme weather events are taken into account, in particular the case of flooding, an increasingly frequent event in Europe in recent years and now recognized as one of the most dangerous disasters. Management of these risks means focusing on preparing for and responding to emergencies. To this scope, the vulnerability of the considered radiological practices is assessed and appropriate actions to be undertaken are proposed and evaluated in order to secure the site or implement adequate safety measures. These adaptation strategies are needed to address the impact of climate change and should be included in the safety and emergency plans, according to the principle of optimization of radiation protection.