CITISTRA

Citizen measurements as complementary radiation monitoring strategy in threats due to armed conflict or natural disasters

Project objective and goals

The current geopolitical situation in Europe raises the issue of whether risk management procedures and technological solutions are up-to-date to handle scenarios arising from threats due to war or armed conflicts. The conflict in Ukraine leads to serious concerns about the safety and security of nuclear facilities in the region. In the event of military action or sabotage targeting these facilities, there is a risk of releasing radioactive materials, leading to a potential radiation emergency with consequences for public health and the environment in close proximity and at least to public concern in more distant territories. There is even a threat of using nuclear weapons. In these scenarios, the functioning of official monitoring networks can be perturbed due to network failure, communication failure, blackout or through sabotage activities. Citizen radiation measurements can complement official monitoring systems and provide fast local radiation data.

The project aims to analyze the feasibility and procedures of employment of citizen measurements with regard to different national legal frames, social and cultural habits using experimental study in three countries – Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland. The project addresses challenges in using citizen radiation measurements:

• quality, accuracy, and reliability of the data collected and analyzed by citizens,
• ethical, legal, and social implications of sharing and using radiation data in different countries,
• adequate training, support, and feedback to citizens involved in radiation measurement activities,
• preconditions of the sustainability of a system built on measurements by volunteers.

The developed radiation detector CzechRad will be distributed among selected citizen groups together with simple software. Training will be provided on taking measurements, data processing and interpreting. Practical guides for training and measurements in different emergency scenarios will be designed and tested. In addition to the living environment, the self-measurements of thyroid glands, food, feed and personal items of daily use etc. will be considered. The public attitude to citizen measurements will be monitored using sociological surveys. The effect of the self-measurement availability on a public sense of security and fear about ionizing radiation shall be determined.

Project coordinator

Jan Helebrant, National Radiation Protection Institute, Czech Republic

Project partners