| Summary of the 6th FNCA Coordinators Meeting
March 30- April 1, 2005, Tokyo, Japan
The Sixth FNCA Coordinators Meeting (CM) was held
at Capitol Tokyu Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, and hosted by the Atomic
Energy Commission (AEC) of Japan and Cabinet Office (CAO) of Japan.
The FNCA Coordinators, representatives and specialists from 9 countries 43 persons attended this meeting. The main delegates were as follows.
Japan: Dr. Machi, Commissioner, Japan AEC
Viet Nam: Prof. Tan, Chairman, Vietnam AEC
Indonesia: Dr. Soentono, Chairman, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN)
Malaysia: Dr. Daud, Director General, Institute for Nuclear Technology Research
(MINT)
The Philippines: Dr. Dela Rosa, Director, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute
(PNRI)
China: Mr. Zhang Jing ,Director General, China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA)
Korea: Dr. Jong-Bae Choi, Director, Ministry of Science & Techology
(MOST)
Thailand: Ms. Jindarom Chvajarernpun ,Head, Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP)
Australia: Dr. F. Easey, Senior Principal Research Scientist,
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
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The major subjects of the Meeting were follows.
1) Progress, Evaluation and Planning of FNCA Projects
2) Report of 1st Panel meeting gRole of Nuclear Energy for Sustainable
Development in Asiah held in October 2004 in Tokyo.
3) Following up Human Resources Development (HRD)
discussion
at
the Fifth FNCA Ministerial Level Meeting in Hanoi, Viet Nam in
Dec. 2004.
1. Progress, Evaluation and Planning of FNCA Projects
8 FNCA
projects
implemented for the past 3-5 years were reviewed, evaluated,
and the
outcomes were evaluated, and recommended for future activities.
(1)Utilization of Research Reactors
1) Tc-99m Generator Production (TCG)
The project has successfully achieved its objectives which produces Tc-99m generator by (n, gamma) reaction. The current project was recommended to be terminated, and to start the new phase to transfer the technology for the practical application and it shold be completed within two years.
2) Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA)
The analysis methodology was completed, however, the objects had not been well
achieved. The reason was insufficient linkage with the environmental agencies
for air pollution regulation. The current project was recommended to be terminated
and to initiate a new project on gMonitoring Environmental Pollution by NAA
for Environmental Protection Strategyh.
3) Neutron Scattering(NS)
Advanced NS facilities for Structural Analysis of Natural Polymer were currently available only in certain member countries such as Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. The project is suspended until some of the new high flux research reactors such as in Australia, China and Thailand could be available.
(2) Application of Radioisotopes and Radiation
for Agriculture
1) Mutation Breeding (MB)
Drought tolerant sorghum mutant lines had been successfully developed. The sorghum project was recommended to extend for another two years .
Malaysia and Thailand were requested to share the roles of leading countries for the Banana Sub-project and the Orchid Sub-project respectively, and both countries agreed to accept them.
(3) Application of Radioisotopes and Radiation for Medical Care
1) Radiation Oncology (RO)
Standardized protocol of radiation therapy in uterine cervical cancer (CERVIX-I) was established successfully. The project was recommended to continue until 2006 for testing a new clinical protocol using chemo-radiotherapy (CERVIX-III).
A new activity for design and clinical testing of the
protocol in head and neck cancer was adopted for 5 years implementation. |
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(4) Public Information of Nuclear Energy (PI)
The major activities were information exchange, gRegional Speakers Bureauh
and the Open Seminars, and the training of nuclear communicators. Joint survey
on the knowledge of radiation utilization targeting high school students
was conducted in 2002- 2004, and the results were well applied for PI activity.
The interests and needs of PI are different among the FNCA countries, therefore
a common PI program and strategy could not be applicable for all FNCA countries.
PI activities and strategy was recommended to plan and study by a few separate
groups of countries which have common needs and interest, information of FNCA
activities should be included in PI activities for public and media in order
to recognize the benefits of nuclear applications.
(5) Human Resources Development (HRD)
There are the achievements in the provision of training materials
for radiation safety and in survey of existing nuclear human
resources in each country. But it was not very satisfactory in
both activities
The HRD strategy might be formulated in accordance with nuclear
program of each country, and FNCA could support appropriately.
The national nuclear HRD plan should be demand-driven and possible
contributions from each country to the project should be defined
and be integrated in overall FNCA HRD plan.
The next HRD workshop was recommended to prepare the specific mechanism
and action plan for the proposed Asian Nuclear University (ANU),
and reviewed by the next SOM in Nov. or Dec. 2005. The Meeting
agreed to continue the project in view of the importance of HRD.
(6) Radioactive Waste Management (RWM)
This project implemented two specific activities, namely Spent Radiation Source
Management (SRSM), and Technically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive
Materials (TENORM) Management.
Status report of radioactive waste management of FNCA countries and the activity
report of SRSM Task Group were compiled and published in March 2003. The activity
report of TENORM Task Group will be published in 2005.
FNCA experts visited relevant facilities in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia,
and Korea for SRSM, and Australia, Malaysia, Viet Nam, China and Thailand for
TENORM to make specific recommendations to improve the management and technical
measures. However, these recommendations have not been much pursued in improvement
of relevant facilities. One of the reasons was shortage of funds.
Peer review and information exchange were recommended to improve the quality
of management of radiation sources and radioactive wastes in terms of safety
and security in FNCA countries, and to exercise the application of radioactive
waste management and clearance level guideline of IAEA for possible wastes
from dismantling nuclear facilities and TENORM waste.
Application of Radioisotopes and Radiation for Agriculture
2) Biofertilizer (BF)
The objective is to increase the yield of crops production instead of chemical
fertilizer by using microorganisms such as rhizobia, mycorrhiza etc.
Most countries conducted field trails/ demonstrations which confirmed the effectiveness
of BF for many types of plants. The effectiveness of 15- 55 kGy irradiation
for carrier sterilization was demonstrated by China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
and Viet Nam. A fertilizer cost benefit analysis conducted by the Philippines,
Thailand and Viet Nam indicated the increased economic returns to the farmer
with the application of BF.
BF expert from Thailand presented a paper on the status and future of BF application
in Thailand.
(7) Nuclear Safety Culture (NSC)
Dr. John Easey of Australia reported on the peer review of research reactors
safety culture carried out in Viet Nam and Korea. The recommendation by experts
of peer review improved the maintenance and enhanced safety culture
The Meeting took note of the need for the establishment of a strong independent
regulatory body as the first step towards a strong safety culture, and the
recommendation for this to be considered as a topic for the next Ministerial
Level Meeting.
Indonesia agreed to host the Nuclear Safety Culture workshop in 2005 in Yogyakarta.
The project on Safety Culture was recommended to continue as there should be
no compromise on safety issue.
The Meeting took note of the recent initiative by Australia on regional safety
and security of radiation sources.
The aspect of security should be dealt separately from the nuclear safety project.
(8) Industrial Application, Electron Accelerator (EB)
The application of low energy EB accelerator for liquids, solids and gases,
and potential application of this technology was reported. Prof. Benjiang Mao
of ENTECH, China presented a paper on gIndustrial Application of EB for Flue
Gas Cleaning in Chinah. He shared the information on the construction cost
of the flue gas cleaning facility for 300MW coal burning power plant was about
USD 20 million in China.
This project would make technical and economic assessment of EB applications
for specific processing such as: natural polymers, waste water treatment and
flue gas in the workshop in 2005.
2. Panel on gRole of Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Development in Asiah
Dr. Machi reported the summary of the 1st Meeting held on October 20- 21, 2004 in Tokyo. He emphasized that the Panel clearly noted that energy demand would rapidly increase in the future but per capita reserves of fossil fuel were at the lowest level for the region encompassing the FNCA countries. The 6th Meeting agreed that the formulation of a long term energy supply strategy was important. |
Dr.Mach |
3. Progress of New Project gCyclotron and PET in Medicineg
Mr. Adnan Haji. Khalid of Malaysia reported the objectives and component of
the project and new plan. Dr. Keigo Endo, Project Leader of Japan explained
the project from a technological viewpoint.
Computer Tomography (CT) shows an image of the anatomy, while PET shows an
image of the physiology and metabolism. PET, using of 18F-FDG, was useful for
several cases of cancer diagnosis such as the detection of early cancer, the
staging of the disease, the evaluation the response to therapy and the knowing
the recurrence and prognosis.
| The current status of the applications of cyclotron and PET in medicine in Viet Nam, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia was presented. Viet Nam had already installed a PET camera and cyclotron in private hospital, and had another plan to install units in Hanoi and Ho-Chi Minh City respectively next year.Thailand had an on-going national project on PET in cooperation with the IAEA. The Philippines had been operating a medical cyclotron and PET for the past three years, |
Dr.Endo |
and would be willing to share their experiences in licensing and regulation of the cyclotron, and in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other pertinent diseases.
Malaysia installed its first PET-CT in Penang recently and would have its first cyclotron facilities by the end of 2005. In addition a National Cancer Institute would be established very soon in Putrajaya.
4. Human Resources Development
Prof. Tan (Viet Nam) presented a possible scheme and an action plan for the establishment of the Asian Nuclear University (ANU). It was proposed that it was the first step to construct the network and the infrastructure for nuclear HRD by using the existing nuclear universities and the laboratories.
The Meeting agreed that
a) nuclear HRD is essential for sustainable development,
b) each country should come up with its own nuclear HRD plan according to its
own national agenda,
c) an expert mission should be organized to examine the needs and to propose
a possible mechanism of implementation,
d) to submit the expert mission report to the HRD project workshop,
e) the HRD project workshop should prepare the specific action plan to be presented
to the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM),
f) after careful review, the SOM to make recommendation to the Ministerial
Level Meeting for decision.
Dr. Soedyartomo Soentono of Indonesia suggested
that the project should start as small activity in a specific area
such as standardization of curricula particularly on nuclear safety
and radiation, in accordance with international standards.
5. Future Cooperation under the FNCA
Dr. Machi stressed on the following points and the Meeting agreed.
1) Future activities of FNCA should be designed to meet the needs and interest of the member countries and needed to have close linkage with the end-users;
2) Selected policy issues of common areas of interest should be taken up for discussion at the Ministerial Level Meeting;
3) Member countries should contribute more to the FNCA projects, such as hosting project activities and sharing facilities;
4) Better synergy between FNCA activities and other regional activities such as RCA and IAEA should be sought; |
Dr.Kondo |
5) The important role of coordinators in having closer communication
with project leaders and also linkages with end-users.
At the Reception on the first day, Dr. Kondo, Chairman of AEC of Japan gave a welcome remarks on behalf of the host organizations.
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