Citizen Measurements in Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness and Response - its role, pros and cons

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F86652052%3A_____%2F17%3AN0000050" target="_blank" >RIV/86652052:_____/17:N0000050 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.eurosafe-forum.org/sites/default/files/Eurosafe2017/Seminars/4_08_Presentation_Kuca_final_ppt.pdf" target="_blank" >https://www.eurosafe-forum.org/sites/default/files/Eurosafe2017/Seminars/4_08_Presentation_Kuca_final_ppt.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Citizen Measurements in Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness and Response - its role, pros and cons

Original language description

One of key roles in the process of effective solving problems in emergency preparedness, response and remediation on affected territories plays involvement of stakeholders and general public, and gaining the participants´ confidence to information on radiation situation provided by the authorities is crucial to accomplish these tasks. The experiences gained from the Chernobyl and Fukushima NPP accidents have shown that, especially in case of severe accident with significant consequences on large inhabited areas, the lack of public confidence to authorities originated mostly either by poor communication between the authorities and the public and stakeholders, or by restricting access to the information for them, or both. These may inevitably result into extremely negative impacts on the public and stakeholders´ understanding of actual situation and its possible risks, and on their acceptance of necessary protective measures and their participation in remediation of affected areas. Citizen radiation monitoring, performed on a voluntary basis, may improve such a confidence significantly. Making sure, that the official results are compatible with the citizens self-measured ones, may result in gaining better confidence of the public to the authorities. In the Czech Republic the implementation of such an approach is investigated in the framework of security research founded by the Czech Ministry of Interior. Especially the “RAMESIS” project solved by SURO is aimed at creating tools for supporting and establishment of a citizen monitoring network based both on the network of fixed monitoring points equipped with newly developed simple and cheap fixed monitoring stations, and on mobile monitoring using the Safecast “bGeigie nano” portable devices. The project includes preparation of methods and tools for public for performing the measurements and to process and presentation of monitoring results on both local and global levels, together with tools for utilization of these citizen networks results by the National Radiation Monitoring Network operated by the authorities. This can also improve efficiency of obtaining information needful for a fast and effective evaluation of the radiation situation in case of accident. Analysis of possible capabilities of such citizen’s networks shows that monitoring of all roads on the whole CR territory may be carried out for about one day using only about 300-350 mobile devices. In this manner both areas with higher levels may be identified for performing professional contamination monitoring there, and areas with no significant increase of dose-rates can be confirmed. Our analysis shows that the citizens monitoring networks can provide useful information not only for evaluation of radiation situation during the first phase of a radiation accident, but also for the phase of territory remediation aimed at assessing of future development of radiation situation and evaluation of effectiveness of remedial measures. The paper shows selected results of selected security research projects aimed at this field, supported by the Czech Ministry of Interior (project RAMESIS ID: VI20152019028) and by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (project CK RANUS ID: TE01020445). The contribution was presented at EUROSAFE Forum 2017, 6 and 7 November 2017, Paris, France.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

<a href="/en/project/VI20152019028" target="_blank" >VI20152019028: Radiation Monitoring Network for institutions and schools to assure early awareness and enhancing safety of citizens (RAMESIS)</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2017

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů