Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection

Creation history:

The Institute was established in 2004 on the initiative of Professor Polat Kazymbetuly Kazymbet on the basis of the Radiobiological Research Centre of the University, renamed in 2010 as «Institute of Radiobiological Research», in 2014 as «Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection», in 2024 as «Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection».

Polat Kazymbetuly Kazymbet - Honorary Director of the Institute, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Kazakhstan Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Member of the New York Academy of Sciences, Member of the Editorial Board of the international specialised scientific journal «Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety» (Moscow), Vice-President of the Asian Association of Radiation Research, President of the Public Association «Republican Society of Radiobiologists».

In the Institute for 20 years 22 large scientific and technical grants on problems of medical provision of radiation safety of professional workers of radiation-hazardous enterprises and population living in uranium-mining, oil-mining and mining regions of Kazakhstan have been carried out, 10 doctors, 13 candidates of sciences, 3 doctors of philosophy (PhD) and 12 masters of sciences have been prepared. 20 author»s inventions and certificates, 6 monographs and manuals, 10 methodical recommendations, more than 300 scientific publications and 54 Acts of introduction into practical health care were developed.

Tasks

- Development of priority scientific programmes and research in the field of radiobiology, radiation epidemiology, radiation medicine, radiation hygiene, radiation ecology and radiation genetics;

- Development of university science, integration of research and educational programmes;

- Training of highly qualified scientific and pedagogical staff in the field of radiobiology and radiation medicine at the bachelor, master and PhD doctoral levels;

- Implementation of research results in health care practice and other sectors;

- Expansion of international co-operation in the field of radiation medicine and radiobiology with leading specialized institutes of near and far abroad;

- Advanced training of specialists from various departments in radiation safety and - occupational health and occupational diseases;

- Provision of paid services to determine the levels of compliance with radiation safety standards in residential and industrial premises, as well as at environmental facilities.

The Institute»s Mission:

Goals

Achievement of competitiveness of scientific research and development in the field of radiobiology, radiation medicine, hygiene and radioecology, aimed at solving urgent problems of medical provision of radiation safety of the population, as well as training of scientific and pedagogical personnel of higher qualification, meeting international quality standards.

Functions

• Comprehensive radiation-hygienic studies that include assessment of environmental facilities and health status of the population living in areas where radiation-hazardous facilities are located, as well as assessment of risks from agents of physical and chemical nature.

• To conduct scientific research in the field of epidemiology from the consequences of technogenic impact on personnel and population on the basis of application of the Medical-Dosimetric Register created at the Institute.

• Development and improvement of regulatory, methodological documents and guidelines to ensure radiation safety of personnel and population.

• Development of educational programmes, training of scientific and pedagogical staff and conducting advanced training courses for specialists in the field of radiation safety and protection.

Activity

1. Educational Activities.

2. Research Activities.

3. Providing paid services.

The Institute carries out its activities on the basis of the following licences:

·                    Atomic Energy Committee of the Energy Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MINT RK) for the occupation «Provision of services in the field of atomic energy use» №20004992 from 16.03.2020;

·                    Atomic Energy Committee of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the session «Special training of specialists and personnel for activities related to the use of atomic energy» №19009260 from 22.04.2019;

·                    Committee for Control in the Sphere of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan «Preparation of PhD doctoral students in the speciality 8D101 “ Healthcare”, “Preparation of PhD doctoral students in the speciality 8D051 - Biology”, Committee for Control in the Sphere of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Preparation of Masters in the speciality ”Medicine», section «Radiobiology», «Preparation of Masters in the speciality 7M051 - Biology». №. KZ93LAA00014823 from 19.03.2019;

·                    Astana City Health Department of Astana Akimat for the occupation «Medical Activity», licence No. 17017850 dated 17.10.2017.

Types of paid services:

- Determination of uranium in urine.

- Certification of workplaces at enterprises.

- Educational courses to improve the qualification of specialists on the following topics: «Radiation safety when working with sources of ionising radiation», “Dosimetrist”, “Radiation safety when working with radiation inspection units”, “Radiation safety when working with sealed radiation sources and devices generating ionising radiation”, “Radiation safety in medicine”.

- Measurement of gamma radiation EDR and alpha and beta particle flux densities.

- Measuring the concentration of radon and other radioactive gases.

- Radiospectrometric determinations: U²³⁸, U²³⁴, ТҺ²³², ТҺ²³⁰, ТҺ²²⁸, К⁴⁰, Cs¹³⁷, radiometric determinations: Ra²²⁶, Ra²²⁸, Pb²¹⁰, Po²¹⁰ in samples of environmental objects (soil, water, plants, etc.).

- Individual dosimetric control of personnel.

- Determination of radionuclide content in products, materials, environmental objects.

- Radiation control of territories, premises, workplaces, goods, materials, scrap metal, vehicles.

- Quality control of ionising radiation sources, as well as devices, equipment, installations containing such sources or generating ionising radiation (medical computer X-ray tomographs, general-purpose medical X-ray units, medical X-ray angiographic equipment, medical X-ray dental equipment, medical X-ray mammography units).

Institute Structure:

1. Testing laboratory for radiochemistry and radiospectrometry (accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025-2019);

2. Laboratory of Radiation Epidemiology and Medical-Dosimetric Registry;

3. Laboratory of radiation safety hygiene.

Lab Tasks:

1.                  Testing laboratory for radiochemistry and radiospectrometry:

- Development of effective methods for cleaning up territories contaminated with technogenic radionuclides.

- Introduction, training and dissemination of modern and efficient methods of radionuclide activity analysis in samples of environmental objects on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

- Provision of scientific and methodological assistance to attached staff, master»s students, PhD doctoral students, residents and applicants of «AMU» NpJSC and other medical establishments.

2.                  Laboratory of Radiation Epidemiology and Medical-Dosimetric Registry:

- Determination of individual radiation risks of occupational exposure of personnel under individual dosimetric monitoring.

- Development of a model of medical and dosimetric register of uranium industry workers.

- Analysis and assessment of the health status of the population of uranium mining, ore mining and oil and gas regions.

- Monitoring of the medical-dosimetric register.

3.                  Laboratory of radiation safety hygiene:

- Development of scientific bases for rationing of safe levels of technogenic radiation impact on personnel.

- Determination of priority areas of radiation hygiene, introduction of new occupational safety techniques at production enterprises.

- Certification of workplaces at enterprises.

- Complex radio-bioecological study of natural environment objects in uranium mining, ore mining and oil producing regions.

- Development of scientific and methodological bases of medical provision of radiation safety of workers of radiation-hazardous enterprises.

 Achievements

On the basis of the Institute 10 doctors and 13 candidates of sciences, 3 doctors of philosophy (PhD) and 12 masters of sciences have been trained. At the moment there are 2 PhD doctoral students and 5 master»s students studying in the direction of “Biology”. Employees of the Institute have developed 20 author»s inventions and certificates, 6 monographs and textbooks, 10 methodical recommendations, more than 300 scientific publications and 54 Acts of implementation in practical health care.

Employees of the Institute have created an electronic database on morbidity and accumulated dose of personnel of group A of industrial enterprises, and on its basis - the current module «Sectoral Radiation Epidemiological and Epidemiological Register (SRER) of employees of radiation-hazardous enterprises». Currently, the Department of Digitalization of Health Care of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan is working on the integration of the SRER with the medical information system of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Since 2018, the Institute has organised the determination of uranium in urine from employees of uranium mining companies in uranium mining regions by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and established its normative levels in urine (approved by the Methodological Recommendations and submitted a draft order to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2019).

The module «Unified system of medical support of radiation safety (USMORS)» for employees of radiation-hazardous enterprises was developed.

The Consortium «МSRSMM» (medical support of radiation safety and morbidity management) was established on the basis of the Institute and the Republican State Enterprise on the right of economic management «The Central Clinical Hospital for Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, which has experience in treating patients with ionising radiation (victims of Semipalatinsk Test Site activity and liquidators of the Chernobyl accident).

The following documents were concluded on the Institute’s initiative: «Memorandum between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and NAC “Kazatomprom” JSC on co-operation on health protection of employees» and “Memorandum on improvement of health status of oil and gas production personnel between the Institute and “Ozenmunaigas” JSC”.

The Institute has carried out the following domestic and foreign scientific programmes:

Domestic:

- «Creation of molecular genetic characterisation of DNA of uranium mine workers confirmed to be chronically exposed to low doses of radiation. Creation of an electronic data bank on genotypes of people exposed to chronic low-dose radiation exposure» (2011-2015);

- «Reduction of risks of occupationally induced morbidity among workers in the uranium industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan» (2013-2015);

- «Integrated approaches in managing the health status of the population of the Aral Sea region» (2014-2016.);

- «Development of scientific and methodological bases for minimization of environmental load, medical support, social protection and health improvement of the population of ecologically unfavourable territories of the Republic of Kazakhstan» (2017-2019.);

- «Research and development of methods to reduce the radiation risk of the population living in the zone of influence of radioactive waste storage facilities» (2018-2020.).

- «Development of methods for levelling negative technogenic risk factors for the environment and public health in the Syrdarya uranium ore province» (2021-2023 год)

International:

- Establishment of a national training centre with a reference laboratory to support and improve radiation protection in the medical use of ionizing radiation (IAEA project);

- International Joint Analysis of Uranium Processing Workers (involving scientists from the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France and Russia);

- Research on Small Quantities of Radionuclides in the Environment (Atmosphere and Hydrosphere), 2019-2022 in collaboration with Hiroshima University and University of Tsukuba (Japan).  

Currently, the Institute implements the following domestic and foreign scientific programmes:

Domestic:

- «Dose burden assessment and epidemiological study of the population living near mothballed uranium mines and development of measures to minimise negative technogenic factors» (2022-2024);

- «Radiation control of the territory of oil production enterprises» (2022-2024);

- «Assessment of radon safety of the secondary school of Aksu settlement located near the radioactive waste storage facility and development of measures to reduce the risk of exposure of students» (2022-2024);

- «Assessment of radiation situation and development of measures to reduce negative radiation factors on the environment in the Shu-Sarysu uranium ore province» (2024-2026).

-«Influence of technogenic radiation factors on the formation of tumour and non-tumour bronchopulmonary diseases in the population of Northern Kazakhstan on the basis of molecular genetic analysis» (2024-2026).

- «Study of radon content in groundwater and development of methods to reduce the dose load of the population living in uranium mining regions of Akmola region» (2024-2026).

International:

- «Lung cancer risk related to radon exposure: reevaluation for the public in high radon concentration areas in Kazakhstan», 2024-2027, jointly with Hirosaki University, (Japan), contracted by the Foundation for the Promotion of Joint International Research - KAKENHI.

Contacts

Astana city, 49A Beibitshilik St., 7th floor, office 705

tel.: 8(7172) 53-94-48; 57-78-96 (ext. 434,430,250).

fax: 8(7172) 53-94-48.

e-mail: irrp@amu.kz