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Performance of data acceptance criteria over 50 months from an automatic real-time environmental radiation surveillance network

The automatic real-time environmental radiation surveillance network of Catalonia (Spain) comprises two subnetworks; one with 9 aerosol monitors and the other with 8 Geiger monitors together with 2 water monitors located in the Ebre river. Since September 2006, several improvements were implemented...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental radioactivity 2011-08, Vol.102 (8), p.742-748
Main Authors: Casanovas, R., Morant, J.J., López, M., Hernández-Girón, I., Batalla, E., Salvadó, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The automatic real-time environmental radiation surveillance network of Catalonia (Spain) comprises two subnetworks; one with 9 aerosol monitors and the other with 8 Geiger monitors together with 2 water monitors located in the Ebre river. Since September 2006, several improvements were implemented in order to get better quality and quantity of data, allowing a more accurate data analysis. However, several causes (natural causes, equipment failure, artificial external causes and incidents in nuclear power plants) may produce radiological measured values mismatched with the own station background, whether spurious without significance or true radiological values. Thus, data analysis for a 50-month period was made and allowed to establish an easily implementable statistical criterion to find those values that require special attention. This criterion proved a very useful tool for creating a properly debugged database and to give a quick response to equipment failures or possible radiological incidents. This paper presents the results obtained from the criterion application, including the figures for the expected, raw and debugged data, percentages of missing data grouped by causes and radiological measurements from the networks. Finally, based on the discussed information, recommendations for the improvement of the network are identified to obtain better radiological information and analysis capabilities. ► Causes producing data mismatching with the own stations background are described. ► Causes may be natural, equipment failure, external or nuclear plants incidents. ► These causes can produce either spurious or true radiological data. ► A criterion to find these data was implemented and tested for a 50-month period. ► Recommendations for the improvement of the network are identified.
ISSN:0265-931X
1879-1700
DOI:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.04.001