EURADOS intercomparisons and the harmonisation of environmental radiation monitoring

After the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, all Member States of the European Union have installed area dose rate monitoring networks so that radiological incidents can be detected quickly. However, the different technical approaches and procedures led to inconsistencies in the area dose rate data. In the last 15 years, the working group 'Environmental Radiation Monitoring' of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) has performed six pan-European intercomparison exercises for detector systems operated in national dosimetric early warning networks. These intercomparisons aimed at the harmonisation of area dose rate measurements of radiation monitoring stations in Europe. The intercomparisons revealed differences in technical properties of the dose rate monitoring systems as well as in the calibration and measuring methods that led to deviations of measured dose rate values by a factor of 5 or more under the same measuring conditions. As a result of the intercomparisons, the accuracy of dose rate measurements could be improved considerably. Further progress in metrologically correct measurements of area dose rates in the natural environment and necessary steps towards a metrologically sound pan-European system for environmental radiation monitoring will be discussed.