Countrywide Environmental Radiation Monitoring in Hungary

Hungary has a countrywide early warning radiation monitoring network which consist of about 70 stations in an on-line connection with the Emergency Information Center of the National System for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness. The system consists of a variety of stations and organizations including Hungarian Meteorological Service, Ministry of Environment and Regional Policy operate their own networks which are not connected with the central system, but could in certain cases exchange the data. The overall impression of the early warning for the radiation emergency is very good, as the system is in the 24 hours on-line mode and raise alarm immediately if the measured values exceed the preset limit. It this respect, the organization appears very good and capable (together with laboratory services) to assure reasonable protection of the population. The possibility to measure the radioactivity in the environment, food and water exist through a series of laboratories, which operate throughout the country. Those appear to be reasonably well equipped and both the knowledge and the experience of their staff appear very high. The same applies for the tools and methods used to forecast the impact and the consequences. (author)