INTERCAL: long-term inter-comparison experiment for dose rate and spectrometric probes

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

• The Schauinsland inter-calibration facility (INTERCAL) was established for long-term comparison experiments.
• Two reference probes, characterized by European Radiation Dosimetry WG3, were installed at INTERCAL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enable long-term comparison experiments for 20 different dose rate probes from various networks.
• To investigate the long-term behavior of dose rate probes and spectrometry systems under environmental conditions.

Main Methods:

• Installation of two characterized reference probes at the INTERCAL facility.
• Deployment of additional instrumentation for measuring air activity, nuclide-specific dose rates, and environmental parameters (air pressure, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture).
• Conducting two exposure experiments in April 2009 and May 2012.

Main Results:

• Established a facility for inter-calibration of dose rate probes.
• Collected data on environmental parameters alongside radiation measurements.
• Provided a framework for long-term studies of radiation detection equipment.

Conclusions:

• The INTERCAL facility is suitable for long-term inter-calibration experiments.
• Environmental factors can influence dose rate probe performance.
• The platform supports research into radiation detection under real-world conditions.