The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is a government agency under the Department of Science and Technology mandated to undertake research and development activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, institute regulations on the said uses, and carry out the enforcement of said regulations to protect the health and safety of radiation workers and the general public.
Functions The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is an agency of the government that is authorized to regulate the safe and peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in the Philippines.
Under Executive Order 128, s. 1987,EO 128, 1987. Section 3. the PNRI is mandated to perform the following functions: Conduct research and development on the application of radiation and nuclear techniques, materials and processes. Undertake the transfer of research results to end-users, including technical extension and training services. Operate and maintain nuclear research reactors and other radiation facilities. License and regulate activities relative to production, transfer and utilization of nuclear radioactive substances.
Structure Under Executive Order 128, s. 1987, the PNRI is headed by a director assisted by a deputy director. The institute is composed of four technical divisions and one administrative/finance division.
The five divisions provide the Institute with research, nuclear-related, policy development, budgetary assistance, and technology development services respectively:
Five divisions of the PNRIDivisionScopeAtomic ResearchAgriculture Research Section, Biomedical Research Section, Health Physics Research Section, Applied Physics Research Section, Chemistry Research Section, and Nuclear Materials Research SectionNuclear ServicesNuclear Reactor Operations Section, Engineering Services Section, Irradiation Services Section, Nuclear Analytical Techniques and Applications Section, Isotope Techniques Section, and Radiation Protection Services SectionNuclear RegulatoryRegulations and Standards Development Section, Inspection and Enforcement Section, Licensing, Review, and Evaluation Section, Nuclear Safeguards and Security Section, and Radiological Impact Assessment Section Finance and AdministrativeBudget Section, Cash Section, Accounting Section, Property and Procurement Section, Human Resources and Management and Records and Communication Section, and General Services SectionTechnology DiffusionInternational Cooperation Section, Nuclear Training Center, Nuclear Information and Documentation Section, Management Information System Section, and Business Development Section A total of 263 permanent positions make up the PNRI organization.PNRI SPMS, p. 2.
History In 1958, the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) was established under Republic Act No. 2067,R.A. 2067, 1958. Section 16. also known as the Science Act of 1958. In the early 1960s, the PAEC built the Philippine Research Reactor-1, the first nuclear reactor in the Philippines. The Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act of 1968R.A. 5207, 1968. Section 2. established the regulatory function and mandate of the PAEC, whereas on December 13, 1974, Presidential Decree No. 606P.D. 606, 1974. established the PAEC as an independent and autonomous body. Three years later, Presidential Decree No. 1206P.D. 1206, 1977. Section 2. of October 6, 1977, created the Ministry of Energy (MOE). From the MoE, the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission was transferred back to the Office of the President Executive under Order No. 613E.O. 613, 1980. Section 1. on August 15, 1980, and transferred again to the Office of the Prime Minister under Executive Order No. 708E.O. 708, 1981. Section 16. of July 2, 1981. In 1984, the PAEC was placed within the administrative administration of the Department of Science and Technology under Executive Order No. 784.E.O. 784, 1984. Section 8. The Philippine Atomic Energy Commission became the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) in 1987.
In 1995, the trial of the sterile insect technique (SIT) held in Guimaras was successful.Manoto, E. et al., 1996. In the succeeding year, William G. Padolina, secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, served as the president of the 40th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).APEC 2014 Programme and Speakers' Profiles In celebration of the centennial of the discovery of radioactivity of 1997, the second Philippine Nuclear Congress was held in Manila.PNRI Annual Report 1997
At the beginning of the 21st century, the PNRI's Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan was approved in 2000. In 2001, the first positron emission tomography (PET) was licensed by the PNRI at St. Luke's Medical Center. Between 2001 and 2005, a polyvinylpyrrolidone carrageenan hydrogel dressing for burns and wounds was developed by the PNRIDela Rosa, A., 2001. as well as the development of the mutant ornamental plants Kamuning dwarf mutant (Murraya 'Ibarra Santos'), Dracaena 'Marea' and Cordyline 'Medina'.Philippine Science and Technology Abstracts 2015 In 2005, the PNRI was designated as the collaborating center for studies on harmful algal blooms by the IAEA.Quevenco, R., 2011. The next year, the Philippine Research Reactor at the PNRI was chosen by the IAEA to be the training platform to demonstrate the decommissioning process technique under the Research Reactor Decommissioning Demonstration Project (R2D2P). The 9th Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia Ministerial Level Meeting was hosted in the Philippines in 2008, the same year of the 50th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.Machi, S., 2003.
The Philippines was named one of the three pilot countries for the IAEA Water Availability Enhancement Project (IWAVE) in 2010.IAEA, "IWAVE." n.d. The National Nuclear Security Plan and the IAEA INSSP also became operational at this time.United Nations Security Council, 2013 In 2011, the Member States engaged in an RCA Regional project to study the disaster impact on the marine environment. The data was compiled in the Asia and Pacific Marine Radioactivity Database (ASPAMARD) which was managed by the Philippines through the PNRI.Sukasam and Kai, 2012. This was made in response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. In 2012, the Technetium-99m Generator Facility was commissioned. During 2013, the conditioning and storage of Spent High Activity Radioactive Sources (SHARS) was put to attention when the Philippines together with the IAEA and the South Africa Nuclear Energy Cooperation (NESCA) worked in a tripartite cooperation.Potterton, L., 2013. In 2014, the PNRI Electron Beam Facility was inaugurated and the PNRI was able to conduct its first full exhibit of Filipino applications of nuclear science and technology at the 58th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, AustriaIAEA, 2014.
Main activities Radiation therapy Nuclear power Peaceful Nuclear Research
Facilities and laboratories
Philippine Research Reactor-1 Cobalt-60 Multipurpose Irradiation Facility Electron Beam Irradiation Facility Technetium-99m Generator Facility Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Laboratory Radioactive Waste Management Facility Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory
Atomic Research Division Agricultural Research Section
This division includes the Plant Mutation Breeding Facility, which aims for the improvement of mutation breeding of important crops. Data is gathered to compare mutants with original plants. Procedures are also undertaken for asexual propagation and testing the pre-germination of seeds.
The Plant tissue culture Laboratory aids projects in mutation induction for tissue propagation.
The Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Laboratory is for the research and development of technologies for soil, water, and crop management packages through the use of an isotope tracer and nuclear techniques. The goal is to enhance agricultural productivity while conserving natural resources for sustainable crop production.
Applied Physics Research Section
The PNRI houses the Mössbauer Effect Spectrometry (MES) system, which studies nuclear structure with the absorption and re-emission of gamma rays. The other two systems are the X-ray fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) and X-ray fluorescence Diffractometry (XRD). The XRF is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the composition of materials. On the other hand, the XRD, also an analytical technique, is used for phase identification of a crystalline material and provides information on the unit cell dimensions. It is more widely used for the identification of unknown crystalline materials such as minerals and inorganic compounds.
Biomedical Research Section For the Cytogenetics Research Laboratory, this facility monitors and calculates the accidental (or occupational) exposure of workers and/or researchers who have been exposed to ionizing radiation through the analyses of blood samples. The Microbiological Service Laboratory performs the bioburden and sterility testing of medical devices.
Chemistry Research Section The Radiation Crosslinking Laboratory practices covalent bonding with one or more polymers and imparting improved mechanical and functional properties in the result of cross-linking products. Next is the Radiation Degradation Laboratory. This facility analyzes degradation products through gel permeation chromatography and separates different molecular weight fractions by tangential flow filtration. Another facility is the Radiation-Induced Graft Polymerization Laboratory which specializes Graft polymerization as a method for the modification of a material's chemical and physical properties. Electron beam and gamma irradiation are utilized to create active sites for grafting.
For quantitative measurements, the Radioactivity Measurement Laboratory measures low level radioactivity in soil erosion studies and toxicity assay for red tide toxins by using detectors to identify and quantify alpha, beta and gamma spectrometries.
Another is the Radioassay Laboratory, which established the Radiological and Receptor Binding Assay (RBA); a method used for measuring toxicity in red tide. The last laboratory for the Chemistry Research Section is the Radiometric Dating Laboratory. This facility is a sediment dating laboratory used to study both the history of pollution in a certain area and the sedimentation rate and processes in coastal areas, lakes, rivers, and dams.
Health Physics Research Section
Stored in the Environmental Monitoring Laboratory are nuclear instruments used to measure low - level radioactivity collected from different types of environmental samples in various parts of the Philippines. Among the instruments stored here are the Co-Axial High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector which is a type of semiconductor detector used specifically for gamma spectroscopy as well as x-ray spectroscopy.
In case of emergencies that may lead to an extensive spread of radioactive materials, an On-line Environmental Radiation Monitoring System provides real-time data of the radiation levels nationwide is at work. Nuclear Materials Research Section
The Nuclear Materials Research Facility uses gamma ray spectrometers to observe particles found in a certain concentration or venue.
Nuclear Services Division Irradiation Services Section