Official website of the Department of Homeland Security
DHS and European Commission Kick-off Radiation Detection Tests in the United States
October 7, 2011
11:41 am
Posted by Public Affairs
This week, the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), in partnership with the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) in Ispra, Italy, initiated testing of personal radiation detectors against national and international standards at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) – the first in a series of tests to gauge the performance of nine categories of commercially-available radiological detection and identification instruments.
Test scientists at Savannah River National Laboratory set up equipment to detect radiation sources for the ITRAP+10 evaluations
The tests are conducted under the framework of the Illicit Trafficking Radiation Assessment Program+10 (ITRAP+10), established in August 2009 by the JRC to assist in the detection of radiological and nuclear weapons and materials by developing recommendations that describe the technical and functional requirements for the equipment used to secure land, air and sea ports of entry.
Throughout 2011 and 2012, nearly one hundred instruments—provided by manufacturers—will be tested in Europe and in the United States at SRNL, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
In July 2011, DNDO hosted JRC counterparts to finalize the testing procedures and select criteria for evaluation.
Once completed, the tests will provide federal, state, and local law enforcement valuable information about which radiological detection and identification instruments can best serve their operational needs. In addition, manufacturers will gain insights that may allow them to improve devices that are already available or in development.
Find more information about nuclear detection equipment testing and performance here.
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
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