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Ground-based measurement exercises

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is responsible for the large-scale determination of the ambient gamma dose rate (gamma ODL) and the radioactivity at ground surface. For this purpose, measurement vehicles are ready for use at all BfS locations. These vehicles are either employed for in situ measurement or the determination of the gamma ODL. To ensure that they are ready for use, annual measurement exercises are performed in different areas in Germany and also abroad. Up to today, there has been one radiological emergency response exercise in Germany in 2014 and 2015, respectively, to determine radiation exposure in selected areas.

In-situ gamma spectrometry in front of an abandoned building

2018 Measurement exercise in Chornobyl (video diary)

Exercising for an emergency: Together with the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory inspectorate, the BfS conducted a measurement exercise within the 30-kilometre-zone around the nuclear power plant in Chornobyl (Russian: Chernobyl) (Ukraine) from September 3 – 7, 2018. In an environment contaminated with radioactivity, the BfS trained the process of mobile measurements, the co-ordination of measuring teams, and the transfer and evaluation of the data compiled.

BfS members Dr. Daniel Esch, Hermann John, and Stefan Seifert reported on the exercise in video diaries.

Handmessgerät zur Messung der Ortsdosisleistung vor dem Reaktor von Tschornobyl. Das Display zeigt einen Wert von 3,04 Mikrosievert pro Stunde.

2016 Measurement exercise in Chornobyl

Together with the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory inspectorate, the BfS conducted a measurement exercise within the 30-kilometre-zone around the nuclear power plant in Chornobyl (Russian: Chernobyl) (Ukraine) from September 26 – 29, 2016. In addition to training the measurement of radioactivity in special conditions, the measurement exercise contributed to updating the description of the radiological situation around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Dr. Daniel Esch, physicist at the BfS, reported about the measurement exercise in an online diary.

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