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Optimizing Radiological Monitor Siting Over the Continental U.S.

DE2007920663

Publication Date	2007
Personal Author	Chen, K. F.; Buckley, R. L.; Kurzeja, R.; O'Steen, L.; Salaymeh, S. R.
Page Count	8
Abstract	The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is installing a network of sensors in the US to monitor background radiation and elevated radiation levels expected from a possible nuclear incident. The network (RadNet) of 180 fixed sensors is intended to provide a basic estimate of the radiation level throughout the US and enhanced accuracy near population centers. This report discusses one of the objective methods for locating these monitors based on criteria outlined by the EPA. The analysis employs a representative climatology of incident scenarios that includes 50 release locations, four seasons and four times of the day. This climatology was calculated from 5,600 simulations generated with NOAAARLs HYSPLIT Lagrangian trajectory model. The method treats the release plumes as targets and monitors are located to maximize the number of plumes detected with the network. Weighting schemes based on detection only, dose-weighted detection and population-dose weighted detection were evaluated. The result shows that most of the monitors are located around the population centers, as expected. However, there are monitors quite uniformly distributed around the less populated areas. The monitors at the populated areas will provide early warning to protect the general public, and the monitors spread across the country will provide valuable data for modelers to estimate the extent and the transport of the radioactive contamination.
Keywords	Radiation monitoring Nuclear incidents Sensor networks Background radiation Elevated radiation levels United States Radiation levels Enhanced accuracy Monitor location determination Criteria Climatology Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Source Agency	Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee
Corporate Authors	Savannah River National Lab., Aiken, SC.; Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	200810
Contract Number	DE-AC09-96SR18500

Optimizing Radiological Monitor Siting Over the Continental U.S.

Optimizing Radiological Monitor Siting Over the Continental U.S.
DE2007920663

Publication Date	2007
Personal Author	Chen, K. F.; Buckley, R. L.; Kurzeja, R.; O'Steen, L.; Salaymeh, S. R.
Page Count	8
Abstract	The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is installing a network of sensors in the US to monitor background radiation and elevated radiation levels expected from a possible nuclear incident. The network (RadNet) of 180 fixed sensors is intended to provide a basic estimate of the radiation level throughout the US and enhanced accuracy near population centers. This report discusses one of the objective methods for locating these monitors based on criteria outlined by the EPA. The analysis employs a representative climatology of incident scenarios that includes 50 release locations, four seasons and four times of the day. This climatology was calculated from 5,600 simulations generated with NOAAARLs HYSPLIT Lagrangian trajectory model. The method treats the release plumes as targets and monitors are located to maximize the number of plumes detected with the network. Weighting schemes based on detection only, dose-weighted detection and population-dose weighted detection were evaluated. The result shows that most of the monitors are located around the population centers, as expected. However, there are monitors quite uniformly distributed around the less populated areas. The monitors at the populated areas will provide early warning to protect the general public, and the monitors spread across the country will provide valuable data for modelers to estimate the extent and the transport of the radioactive contamination.
Keywords	Radiation monitoring Nuclear incidents Sensor networks Background radiation Elevated radiation levels United States Radiation levels Enhanced accuracy Monitor location determination Criteria Climatology Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Source Agency	Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee
Corporate Authors	Savannah River National Lab., Aiken, SC.; Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	200810
Contract Number	DE-AC09-96SR18500