NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF TAJIKISTAN

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND

NUCLEAR SAFETY & SECURITY AGENCY

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF TAJIKISTAN

 

Ilhom Mirsaidzoda

Doctor of Technical Science, Professor, Director

Tel.: (+992 37) 227 83 83

Fax: (+992 37) 227 38 38

E-mail: i.mirsaidzoda@cbrn.tj

1 November 2001,  the Republic of Tajikistan (RT) became a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the necessity arose create a regulatory structure in the field of radiation safety.

In accordance with the assignment of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 3594 (16.1-2), September 18, 2002, the Atomic Energy Agency was initially organized at the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, then on its basis the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency (NRSA) of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, as a structural unit of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan was established (Decision of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 112, December 25, 2002).

According to the Decision of the Presidium of the Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences No. 117, dated November 5, 2021, the name of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency of the Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences (NRSA) has been changed to the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear     Safety and Security Agency (CBRN SSA) of the Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences (further referred as Agency).

 

THE MAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITIES:

 

The Agency carries out its activities in accordance with: the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, the laws of the Republic of Tajikistan, including “On Radiation Safety”, “On the Use of Atomic Energy”, “On Licensing of Certain Types of Activities”, “On inspection of the activities of business entities”, “On the Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences”, “On radioactive waste management”, “On biological safety and biological security”, decrees of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan. , resolutions of the Majlisi Oli, resolutions and instructions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, “The procedure for state regulation in the field of ensuring nuclear and radiation safety”, “Regulations on the peculiarities of licensing of certain types of activities”, “Schedule (Bylaw) of the Interdepartmental Council for Radiation Safety”, Charter of the Agency, particular International documents recognized by the Republic of Tajikistan, and other legal documents regulating the activities of the Agency.

According to the current legislation, the Agency is the Authorized State Body in the field of ensuring nuclear and radiation safety and security in the Republic, coordinates the unified State Policy in these areas and submits an Annual Report to the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Based on Resolutions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 133 and No. 134, March 29, 2019, the Agency has been designated as the National Coordinator for the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction as well as the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (biological), toxin weapons and their destruction.

The Agency, through its Department of Science Research and Technical Services, offers services related to radionuclide analysis of water, soil, air, food, construction and other materials, dosimetry of workplaces, quality control of X-ray machines, personnel training in the field of nuclear and radiation safety, forensic analysis of nuclear materials, etc.

In order to fulfill the tasks assigned to it, the Agency, together with the relevant ministries, departments and institutions, takes the necessary measures to comply with nuclear standards, in accordance with the requirements of legislation and other international legal regulations.

The Agency determines requirements for the application of radiation protection principles to all exposure situations that mean that:

- in situations of planned exposure, each party with a responsibility for security and safety, where relevant requirements apply to that party, does not take any practical action that is not justified;

- in emergency exposure situations and existing exposure situations, each party with a responsibility for security and safety, when it is necessary, ensures that security actions or remedial actions are justified and implemented in such a way that the objectives set out in the protection strategy are achieved;               

-          for all exposure situations, each party with responsibilities for security and safety shall ensure, when relevant requirements apply to that party, that security and safety measures are optimized;

-          for planned exposure situations other than for medical exposure, each party with responsibilities for security and safety shall ensure that, when relevant requirements apply to that party, specified dose limits are not exceeded.

The Agency creates and maintains the following registries for the promotion, storage and retrieval of documents related to devices and activities:

- state register of accounting and control of nuclear materials and sources of ionizing radiation;

- register of occupational exposures of workers working with ionizing radiation;

- nuclear knowledge database;

- register of messages about radiation accidents;

- state register of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel;

Currently, under the leadership of Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Ilhom Mirsaidzoda, the Agency has a staff of 80 researchers, most of them young scientists, including one Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, 5 Doctors of Sciences and 16 Candidates of Sciences. The Agency has its branches in Sughd, Khatlon oblasts and GBAO.

The Agency shall carry out the following research activities:

- training of scientific staff, assistance in improving the professional qualifications of staff, training of personnel of institutions and undertaking using ionising radiation sources in their activities;

- integrated processing of uranium ore and uranium containing waste;

- methods of water purification from radioactive contamination;

- radioecological monitoring of the regions of Tajikistan;

- development of a radiation map of the regions of Tajikistan;

- analysing the radiation exposure of employees, patients and population;

- studies of natural radionuclides in food products and construction materials;

- organising and conducting research works on the radiation safety situation;

- submission of the conclusion of the state expertise in the field of radiation safety.

The Agency carries out its research work on the basis of the following two scientific topics:

- “Physico-chemical bases of separation of uranium concentrates from minerals and wastes” (project leader Professor H.M. Nazarov), state record No. 0120 TJ 01030- for 2020-2024;

- “Radioecological research in radionuclide facilities” (project leader Dr I.Mirsaidzoda), state record No. 0120 TJ 01031 - for 2020-2024.

The Agency scientists have published more than 500 monographs and scientific articles based on the results of scientific research, obtained 30 patents for invention and 3 certificates of authorship.

Currently, the Agency has 10 postgraduate students in the speciality  “Radioecology IM-33.01.03” and three PhD-doctoral students in the speciality “TNV-6D072000”.

Since 2011, the Technical Services Laboratory has been operating under the Agency for Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. The main objectives of the laboratory are to conduct research activities, assist the regulatory body and provide technical services.

The main activities of the laboratory:

- research works in the direction of technologies for processing of minerals and uranium-containing waste, radioactive water treatment and radioecological monitoring;

- nuclear and radiation expertise, nuclear forensics;

- services related to radionuclide analyses of water, soil, air, food, construction materials and other samples;

- individual dosimetry of employees, workplaces and calibration of dosimetry devices.

The Agency also has a Regional Training Centre for the Prevention of Terrorism with Weapons of Mass Destruction and Export Control in Central Asia, the Caucasus and Afghanistan, which is equipped with the  modern equipment. The material and technical base of this centre is used for training master's and doctoral students. Law enforcement officers take annual capacity-building courses on the prevention of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction and export control at the centre. Medical workers who use ionising radiation sources also receive short-term training in radiation safety at this centre.

The Agency has scientific connections with the following institutions of the CIS countries, with which it co-operates on exchange of experience:

1. Russian Federation - State Union ‘Rosatom’ and Rostechnadzor;

2. Republic of Belarus - Department of Nuclear Regulation of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Belarusian State University, Educational Institution ‘International State Ecological Institute named after A.D. Sakharov’ of the Belarusian State University Belarusian State University;

3. Republic of Kazakhstan - Committee on Atomic Energy;

4. Republic of Armenia - Scientific and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety;

5. Republic of Uzbekistan - Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In addition, the Agency cooperates with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBT), the European Commission, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the US Department of Energy, the International Science Technology Centre (ISTC), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Programme Office in Dushanbe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Norwegian Agency for Nuclear and Radiation Safety.

Address: 734025, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe sh., 33 Rudaki Avenue

Tel: (+992 37) 227 83 83

E-mail: info@cbrn.tj

https://www.cbrn.tj/