Thirty years of airborne radionuclide monitoring by the Radiation Monitoring Network of the Czech Republic

The history of the Czech Radiation Monitoring Network (RMS) is outlined. Summary results are presented for ¹³⁷Cs, ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb in the ground air, with focus on the capital Prague, where other radionuclides (⁹⁰Sr, ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu, ⁸⁵Kr, ¹⁴C, ³H, ⁴⁰K, ²²Na) are also continuously monitored, and on other artificial radionuclides (primarily ¹³¹I), which could be released to air by an NPP in the event of accident. The results of determination of the natural radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸U a ²¹⁰Po are also presented. The total average annual committed effective dose from inhalation of the radionuclides monitored is 40 μSv, anthropogenic radionuclides contributing mere 0.5 μSv (1.2%). This is a negligible contribution to the average effective dose to an inhabitant in the Czech Republic from natural radiation, which is about 3.3 mSv/year. (orig.)