Optimising European radiation monitoring
Nuclear energy is regaining ground as a clean and sustainable alternative to the burning of fossil fuels. While the scientific community is progressing toward the delivery of Generation IV reactor systems of superior safety and efficiency, many of the current monitoring systems installed after the Chernobyl incident are in need of upgrade or replacement. Scientists initiated the EU-funded project DETECT to develop the appropriate methodology for optimising the design of environment monitoring systems for fast and effective decision making in the case of a nuclear emergency. DETECT's system is focused on monitoring radiation leakages using mathematical equations describing specific release characteristics of specific nuclear reactor families. The first project phase was devoted to defining source terms based on end-user input. The source terms were then fed into an atmospheric dispersion mathematical model to simulate potential impact using one year of high-resolution European weather data. Data will then be used to develop a web-based planning tool to optimise the location of EU monitoring stations as well as their upgrade or deployment based on new technology. In addition to enhancing the safety and security of citizens, the optimised planning of monitoring stations will ensure the better use of resources and lower maintenance costs. The consortium is currently drafting the terms of reference for the transfer of the DETECT Optimisation Tool to the European Commission, which will in the near future be available to competent authorities in Member States through JRC-Ispra.
