Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) – Functions and Services

TAEC Works

Atomic Energy Bill number. 7\2003 created the TAEC [Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission] with three essential functions of: –

1. controlling of the peaceful usage of nuclear tech,
2. support of the peaceful use of nuclear technologies and atomic energy and
3. Advising the URT-Tanzania Administration on matters relating to the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and its associated conventions and accords on nuclear and atomic energy.

According to Section 6[1] of the Atomic Energy Bill Number. 7\2003, the duties of TAEC can be divided into four categories:

TAEC Advisory Function [Legislation and a Code of Conduct]

1. TAEC provides policy advice and information based on current understanding of the safe, proper, and peaceful usage of radiation sources and atomic energy, the potential hazards, and the necessary ways to improve the protection of patients, workers, the environment, and the general public from radiation damage.

1. TAEC Adopts or establishes, in collaboration with competent authorities both in and outside the nation, safety standards for health protection and the depreciation of threat to life and property, as well as provisions for the supervision and application of these standards across all endeavors or practices that involve the use of radiation sources and atomic energy.;

1. TAEC provides advice to the authorities on the execution of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] Safeguards and other associated International Nuclear Accords, Conventions, Protocols, and Treaties.

TAEC Regulatory Function

1. TAEC creates and operationalizes or devises a system for controlling and authorizing the transportation, exportation, importation, possession, or use of radiation sources and atomic energy by registration and licensing.
2. TAEC examines and evaluates operator safety submissions before authorizations and regularly during operation, as needed.
3. The commission carries out regulatory assessments and guarantee that corrective steps are implemented if unsafe or possibly dangerous conditions are discovered.
4. TAEC Exercises regulatory authority over all aspects of non-ionizing and ionizing radiation.
5. Establishes and controls, or assist in the creation and operation of, a system for controlling radioactivity in animal feeds, foodstuffs, and the environment, as well as for managing radioactive waste from various atomic energies and nuclear technology uses.
6. Create and control a national radiological crisis and preparedness strategy.
7. TAEC inspects all radiation practices and radiation Facilities and, if any safety requirements are violated, order the shutdown of such premises or Practices, or act to lockdown the premises.

Atomic Energy and Nuclear Technology Promotion

1. TAEC coordinates and makes provisions for, or perform, or assist the carrying out of, the growth or practical implementation of nuclear technology and atomic energy for safe and peaceful reasons, including the electrical power generation using nuclear plants, with proper consideration for the country’s safety and needs, via the establishment or appointment of institutions.
2. It operates and establishes a structure for the dissemination of info and registration pertaining to the research results under this Act, as well as to promote the real-world applications of those results for the purposes of expanding the peaceful and more favorable use of radiation sources and atomic energy in the United Republic, as well as the adequate protection of workers, patients, the environment and the general public from radiation damage.;
3. Encourages domestic and international collaboration or cooperation on applications of nuclear technology and atomic energies presently in use or planned to be introduced in the United Republic.
4. TAEC also encourages and enables the sharing of technical and scientific information, as well as the training of experts and scientists in the fields of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, radiation protection, nuclear technology, waste management and nuclear safety.

TAEC oversees all issues concerning the peaceful and safe use of nuclear technology and atomic energy, including radiation devices and radioactive materials, to promote their applications and protect patients, workers, and the general public.

Services Rendered by TAEC

TAEC supervises both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation practices, as well as providing various stakeholders with nuclear technology application-related services. Below are some of the major services that the Commission can provide: –

1. Radiation Contamination Control in Foodstuffs and Fertilizers

Based on the Atomic Energy Bill Number 7\2003 and the Management from Radioactive Contamination in foodstuffs, 1998 Regulations,TAEC is mandated to manage radiation contamination in edibles and fertiliser in order to protect the general public and the environment from the toxic effects of radiation. Following the 1986 accident at a nuclear plant in Chernobyl, the International Community created systems for measuring radioactivity in foodstuffs via the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Commission] and FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in order to ascertain artificial radionuclides caused by accidents at nuclear facilities\reactors.

2. Inspections for Radiation Safety

The Commission inspects radioactive workplaces on a regular basis to guarantee the safe usage of radiation sources. These sources are required to protect workers, the general public, and the environment. Workers, patients, the environment, tourists, and the general public are all protected from unnecessary radiation exposure. TAEC is responsible for guiding on appropriate laws, offering professional advice on radiation-related issues, and ensuring that statutory and regulatory regulations are followed.

3. Management of Radioanalytical and Radioactive Junk

TAEC has facilities for Alpha spectrometry, Gamma spectrometry, and X-Ray Fluorescence, which help it with its regulatory tasks by evaluating radioactivity and other components in foods and environmental substances. Furthermore, radioactive substances that have reached the end of their useful life are gathered from various facilities, conditioned, and stored safely in the TAEC’s CRWMF [Central Radioactive Waste Management Facility]. Such a site can also be utilized for research, consulting, and providing services on a domestic or international scale.

4. Radiotracer Laboratory

TAEC provides Radiotracer Methods in Industry as well as Environment pollution. Such as: –

1. Turbulent flow rates in pipes,
2. Laminar flow rates in a straight, circular cylinder,
3. The analysis and determination of housing time management in process vessels,
4. Dead space detection and channeling,
5. Processes for batch mixing

5. Calibration and Dosimetry

Personnel dose supervising services are supplied to radiation employees in order to assess their radiation exposures. Our ionizing radiation measurement equipment is calibrated not just for our local partners but also for neighboring nations. Approximately 1500 radiation employees in hospitals, enterprises, and research facilities are monitored every month. The TAEC oversees registering and authorizing the use of radiation equipment, radioactive materials, as well as many other related types of equipment. In the country, there are approximately 100 licensed radiation facilities and installations. Furthermore, the Commission is in charge of monitoring potential dangers from non-ionizing radiation. The Commission operates a national lab for dose assessment and dosimetry equipment maintenance.

6. Maintenance of Nuclear Instruments

TAEC operates a laboratory with the primary goal of providing coordinated national training and services in maintenance and quality control of nuclear and related accessories. The laboratory’s long-term goal is to increase the nation’s capabilities in nuclear instrumentation repair. Maintenance and repair of scientific, nuclear, and associated equipment used in study, industry, and medicine are among the critical services supplied by the laboratory. Consultancy services and service contracts for electronic equipment are available—control of the quality and preventative maintenance of nuclear as well as medical equipment. Scientists and technicians in research and hospitals receive training in instrument repair as well as the usage of technical software for design and data management. Designing and manufacturing of low-cost electrical gadgets for local use.

7. Scientific Information

TAEC keeps a library with a multitude of documentation on food irradiation, nuclear medicine, nuclear physics, isotope hydrology application, radiation protection, nuclear energy/safety, and other nuclear technology-related topics. It is also a member of the INIS [Internation Nuclear Information System] database, which includes index catalogues in both printed and web-based formats. INIS houses a library of scientific publications on the peaceful applications of nuclear technology and science worldwide. INIS Partners and the INIS Centre in Tanzania provide comprehensive global technical and scientific literature coverage.

8. Training

To ensure the effective operation of nuclear technological services, TAEC offers training in various sectors and target groups, such as radiation protection for nuclear employees, the use of information and communication technology in academic\research institutions, radiation dangers to the public and the environment, and many more. To carry out its legislative purpose, TAEC will need to undertake strategic training initiatives in order to improve training competency in the sector both externally and internally, especially given the present globalized economy. The following are some of the new areas for training:

• Study Reactor Operations as well as safety.
• Nuclear Material Management.
• Radioactive Waste Control.
• Radiation Control and Safety.
• Isotope Application and Production.
• Nuclear Fuel Route Chemistry.
• Nuclear Engineering and
• Establishment of a Radiological Disaster Response\National Nuclear and Readiness System, among other things.

9. Research Contracts and Development

Internal and external research, consulting, and services are provided by TAEC in the fields of nuclear technology and non-ionizing radiation applications. Clients must participate in and fund these activities in all of these circumstances.

10. Other TAEC Services

The TAEC facilities are being updated to include:

• TXRF [Total reflection X-ray fluorescence] for surface elemental investigations of residues, particles, and contaminants on smooth surfaces.
• Cytogenetic laboratory and Personal Monitoring.
• Total body counter
• NDT [Non-Destructive Testing] Laboratories.
• Security, Nuclear Safety, Safeguards plus Emergency Response.
• Enforcement, Inspection, Mining, Authorization, and Safety Matters.
• Physical Analysis Lab.
• Minerals and Earth Analysis Laboratory.

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