This session focuses on the topic of managing areas affected by Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). NORM encompasses multiple aspects in this session, including legacy sites, high-background areas, and sites impacted by radon. The focus extends from comprehensive risk assessment to sustainable and effective remediation strategies, including the dynamic interactions of NORM with the environment and human health.

This session is dedicated to the field of radioactive waste management and disposal. It serves as a forum for the exploration of challenges, innovations, and best practices in handling radioactive waste from the different waste categories (including LLW, ILW, VLLW, HLW, SNF). Within this session, experts, researchers, and practitioners will share their insights into the latest advancements and strategies for the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste. Topics covered will encompass the treatment, storage, ultimate disposal in surface or deep ground considering the behaviour of radionuclides in the deep ground and biosphere, and their modelling. This session will also include consideration of approaches for considering the effect of climate change on the fate of radionuclides in the environment, effects on ecosystems and on human activities and the influence of such factors on assessments covering extended timescales.

This session deals with innovation in the field of metrology. For example, application of rapid methods, more sophisticated analytical and measurement techniques, or in situ techniques. Advances in sampling, radiochemical separation/purification techniques, data processing, computer applications, laboratory facilities and field monitoring techniques are welcomed, as well as those on low-cost instrumentation for environmental survey. Quality assurance issues are important in metrology and are also part of the scope of the session.

Recent events on Ukrainian territory have triggered complex, multi-faceted challenges associated with nuclear and radiological emergencies, reinforcing the importance of preparedness, response, and recovery strategies. This session is an opportunity to assess the preparedness and response strategies deployed to mitigate the impact of such crises, and to explore the restoration of the environment in the wake of nuclear and radiological accidents and events, notably the nuclear accidents at Chornobyl and Fukushima Daiichi. However, given the global development of nuclear energy, including the deployment of new technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs), we also welcome contributions addressing various types of scenarios and environments (terrestrial or aquatic) as well as studies that consider impacts at an international scale. The active exchange of knowledge and insights among decision makers, practitioners, stakeholders, and the scientific community is essential. Participation from each of these diverse communities is critical and particularly welcome.

This session will focus on mechanistic understanding of the processes inducing radiation effects at different levels of biological organization, including the consequences on ecosystem integrity. It includes multigenerational responses, hereditary effects, adaptive responses, genomic instability, and epigenetic changes, as well as the effect of co-stressors. Emphasis will be placed on emerging frameworks and approaches, including Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) and exposome-based approaches, that facilitate the translation of molecular and cellular responses into impacts at the population and ecosystem levels. Contributions addressing ecosystem-level protection frameworks, including ecosystem services, are also encouraged. Studies reporting both observed effects and the absence of detectable effects of ionising radiation are welcomed, as they provide equally important evidence for improving our understanding of radiation impacts on ecosystems and for refining environmental protection strategies.

Assessing the radiological impact of radionuclide releases in a realistic way relies on a good understanding of their distributions and transfer processes in the environment, from their dispersion and transfer in atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial media up to their uptake and accumulation in biotic organisms. This session will focus on new experimental findings, as well as development of models able to describe and predict these transfers in different contexts (from short-term after a release to long-term scenarios). All types of models, from conservative assessment models to more detailed research models are welcome.

This session deals with current challenges and developments around environmental radiation protection including adapting to advanced technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data are transforming the understanding of radioecology, and this session will explore the dynamic role of these technologies in advancing our knowledge; and how these innovative tools are contributing to risk assessments and more informed decision-making in environmental radiological protection and environmental science. The session will also address approaches and methods for promoting effective communication among various entities, including governments, industry, and the public, including active involvement of citizens in understanding and addressing radioecological issues.