Technology Acceleration

Canadian Radiation Alert/Expert System for Critical Infrastructure Monitoring

PROJECT NUMBER:
CRTI 02-0057TA

PROJECT LEAD:
Health Canada

FEDERAL PARTNERS:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Canada Border Services
Agency, Environment Canada

INDUSTRY PARTNER:
Ontario Power Generation, Science Applications
International Corporation

AUTHORS:
Kurt Ungar, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario,
tel: (613) 954-6675, email: kurt_ungar@hc-sc.gc.ca

Ed Korpach, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario,
tel: (613) 952-5658, email: ed_korpach@hc-sc.gc.ca

Objective

Three years ago, a CRTI technology acquisitions project (001RN) was initiated to install a network of radiation detectors around the major Canadian stockpiles of nuclear materials to improve preparedness to respond to a major nuclear incident. These permanent in situ monitors provide real-time measured doses to the public from atmospheric releases. The information allows decision makers to assess the extent of a release and its impact on the population. The system will assist in decisions on how best to respond to any detected incidents. The network consists of rings of detectors around Canada’s major nuclear facilities entering into nearby population centers. Detectors are also set up in populated areas near ports where foreign nuclear-powered vessels berth. Also, a single detector to monitor atmospheric radiation is installed in several major Canadian cities. The Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) also uses the detector’s ability to monitor radioactive components in air masses. The measurements made within air masses as they progress along terrain are used as a basis of comparison for CMC’s atmospheric dispersion computer models. These models can predict the dispersion of any CBRN particulate within the atmosphere, so that any verification and improvements of these models have a broad benefit to the CRTI community.

Recent Progress

The installation of the detector network is complete. Health Canada has installed 51 detectors across Canada. Health Canada is also currently downloading data from an additional 17 detectors owned by industry partners, for a total of 68 detectors. Six of Canada’s major nuclear facilities each have a set of 6 to 8 detectors to monitor atmospheric emissions. Twelve of Canada’s major population centers have a single detector to monitor any radioactive air mass that may move into those cities. The three Canadian ports that berth nuclear-powered vessels have 1 to 3 detectors per site. A data system has been developed to download, analyze, and store the large amounts of data coming from these detectors. The database has been successfully incorporated with the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan (FNEP) Accident Reporting and Guidance Operational System (ARGOS) program. This allows FNEP decision makers to have direct and immediate access to monitoring data. The network has been monitoring the dose the public is exposed to due to normal operational atmospheric emissions from nuclear facilities. Radioisotopes emitted from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s Chalk River Laboratory can be detected in Ottawa at a rate of about twice per month, a distance of 180 kms from the source. As the air mass moves down the valley, as many as five radiation detectors can measure the concentration of the radioactive release with results compared to an ultra-sensitive Radioxenon analyzer located at Ottawa’s Radiation Protection Bureau (RPB). This data gives CMC the opportunity to regularly compare an actual dispersion of particles in moving air to their computer models. Atmospheric transport modellers at the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) in the United States, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, and France’s Commissariat á l’Energie Atomique Data have also used this subnetwork.

Future Outlook

With the network installation and commissioning complete, the Canadian Radiation Alert/Expert System for Critical Infrastructure Monitoring (CRAESCIM) project has begun to make improvements to the system. The detectors were originally designed as a monitoring system only. Software upgrades have enabled the detectors to become alarming devices; the detectors now have the capability to call back to the main server in the case of elevated doses of radiation. Further improvements to the alarming algorithms will produce a lower threshold that also has fewer false alarms. As well as the alarming software, improvements are being made to the analysis software. This will result in an enhanced library of radionuclides that can be identified, more sensitive measurements, and a more automated approach to the analysis and calibration of the data. The network will continue to monitor the regular emissions of normal operations of the nuclear facilities. The information will continue to be used by Environment Canada to verify their atmospheric dispersion models. These non-emergency measurements will be ongoing and the network will be ready and operational in the case of a major nuclear incident.