Real time low cost ultra-portable environmental monitoring system- case study: Operation during a nuclear emergency response exercise at the Angra dos Reis NPP

In the event of a radiological accident or nuclear emergency with radioactive releases to the environment, time plays an important role to mitigate the consequences to the environment and to the public. A key aspect in the assessment and response to this kind of event is the acquisition of reliable data as soon as possible to initiate the implementation of protective measures. Information on gamma dose rate and radionuclide composition and concentration is commonly obtained from fixed radiation detection instruments, from aerial or terrestrial mobile detection systems and more recently from ultra-portable instruments deployed in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The low cost ultra-portable systems are capable of measuring dose rates or radionuclide composition, sending the acquired geo-referenced data to a mobile phone and then to a central server. Recently IRD-CNEN initiated technical cooperation arrangements with the BfS to acquire the technology of the ultra-portable detection systems. These systems are composed of a portable radiation detector, a small single-board computer system with Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities deployed in an UAV and a mobile phone for transmitting data. During the 2017 nuclear emergency response exercise at the Angra dos Reis NPP, the team formed by the BfS and CNEN specialists demonstrated the use of the ultra-portable system to acquire radiation data in two sites around the NPP, the transmission of data in real time to emergency coordination centers and CNEN headquarters. The technology was transferred and further initiatives are in course to extent its use and the IRD-BfS collaboration in this area.