![[logo] US EPA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090511192125im_/http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
RadNet Monitoring
RadNet operates in either an emergency or a routine mode.
Routine Mode:
To respond quickly to a large-scale release of nuclear material requires an organized nationwide monitoring network already in place with established protocols. To establish and organize such a network in the event of a major nuclear emergency would require too much time for it to be of any real benefit in assessing the impact of such an event, particularly the short-term impacts and addressing the immediate public and governmental concerns. In addition, a rapid response to a nuclear incident requires that the monitoring network be in a state of readiness. This means having operators familiar with the sampling protocols and functional equipment that is in working order and has been properly maintained. To maintain this state of readiness requires operating the system in a "routine mode" at some frequency. In addition to ensuring the network's emergency response capability, routine operation of the network generates valuable data for other purposes such as providing data for long-term trends, defining normal background levels for use in comparing with emergency data and scientific studies.
| Media | Sampling Frequency |
| Air Particulates | Twice Weekly |
| Precipitation | Per Event |
| Drinking Water | Quarterly |
| Milk | Quarterly |
| Media | Analyses | Primary Rationale |
| Air Particulates | Individual Samples: Gross Beta. A Gamma Analysis Is Performed If Elevated Gross Beta Levels Are Found |
Screening Analyses Employed To Detect Elevated Levels Of Radioactivity |
| Annual Composite Samples: Isotopic Pu And U (Performed On Composite Samples From All Sites) |
Radionuclides Of Concern For Facility And Site Monitoring Activities | |
| Precipitation | Individual Samples: H-3, Gross Beta And Gamma |
Screening Analyses Employed To Detect Elevated Levels Of Radioactivity |
| Drinking Water | Individual Samples: H-3 And I-131 Performed On One Sample Per Station Per Year |
National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (40 CFR, Part 141.26) |
| Composites: Gross Alpha And Gamma Performed On All Samples Sr-90 Performed On Selected Stations U, Pu, And Ra-226 Analyses Are Performed If There Are Elevated Levels Of Gross Alpha Beta Ra-228 Is Performed If There Are Elevated Levels Of Ra-226 |
National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (40 CFR, Part 141.26) | |
| Milk | Individual Samples: Gamma |
Detection Of Radionuclides With A High Probability Of Release Into The Environment |
| Sr-90 Performed On Selected Stations | Radionuclides Of Concern For Facility And Site Monitoring Activities |
Emergency Mode:
RadNet operates in an emergency mode if there is a major nuclear accident. The system is designed to provide data for short-term situations such as fallout, a nuclear accident, or environmental releases from other nuclear events. In the event of a major nuclear incident, data from RadNet can be used to determine the immediate and long-term environmental and public health impacts. Specifically, in terms of public health, data from the monitoring system along with other data would be used for dose assessments.
Two components of RadNet are particularly useful when atmospheric dispersion of significant levels of radionuclides occurs. The air and precipitation component provides immediate information on airborne particulates and precipitation, while the pasteurized milk component provides information on the uptake and transfer of these radionuclides in milk.