Discovering an Event: How do you know a radiation event has occurred? (Text Version)
- Radiological/Nuclear Event
- How do you know a radiation event has occurred?
- Obvious in real time
- Information from local, State, Federal authorities
- News report
- Routine, real time radiation monitoring of
- Industrial radiation sources
- Planned transport of radiation sources
- Medical facility radiation sources
- Personal observation
- Examples
- Nuclear explosion
- Transportation accident
- Medical facility accident
- Nuclear reactor accident or sabotage
- Industrial radiation source accident
- Not obvious in real time
- Evaluating an explosive event, HAZMAT team tests for and finds radiation.
- Monitoring of water, soil, food, air reveals unexpected radiation.
- Recognizing over time a cluster of victims with radiation-linked clinical signs and symptoms
- Locating a radiation source outside of expected places, e.g., subway, sports field
- Examples
- Radiological Dispersal Device
- Explosive incident subsequently found to have radiation
- Non-explosive incident: radiation dispersion into food, water, soil, air
- Hidden radiological source: Radiological Exposure Device
- Malicious or unintentional industrial, nuclear reactor, medical facility, or transportation event discovered after the fact
- More details on identifying types of radiation event
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