Monitoring Locations
Kilmeadan
Live Monitoring Station
The RPII carries out several monitoring programmes to determine the levels of radioactivity in the environment and the doses received by the Irish population.
External radiation levels and particulates in air are continuously monitored. In addition, rainfall is continuously collected.
Samples of seawater, seaweed, sediment, fish and shellfish are collected from the marine environment.
Samples of drinking water, milk, ‘complete meals’ and individual foodstuffs are collected from the land.
or
Back to map
Types of sampling at this station
Gamma dose rate provides a measure of the amount of energy a body receives from the surrounding gamma radiation.
This radiation is always present and occurs naturally. Gamma dose rate is measured in units of microsieverts per hour (µSv/h). The normal gamma dose rates vary with local geology and typically range from 0.05 to 0.12 µSv/h. These dose rates include a component of 0.03 µSv/h due to cosmic radiation. The long term gamma background level at this location is 0.095 µSv/h.
If a radioactive 'cloud' reaches Ireland, these gamma detectors will detect the associated elevated radiation levels and an alarm will be triggered.
A phenomenon known as radon washout can cause short-term increases in gamma radiation levels which may be observed in the above plot as peaks in the data.
An air sampler also operates continuously at this site. A precisely measured volume of air is pumped through a filter which collects particulates. After a sampling period of approximately one week the filters are removed and sent to the RPII. A selection are analysed by gamma spectrometry at our laboratory. This enables us to monitor radioactivity in airborne particulates.
The levels of this radiation is normally very low. If a radioactive 'cloud' reaches Ireland, these air samplers will record elevated radiation levels. Following analysis, they would enables us to determine the concentrations of radionuclides present.
Results of the monitoring can be seen in our latest report Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment.
Results of monitoring show that the levels of man-made radioactivity in foodstuffs and the environment are detectable but the levels are low and are of no health risk to the public.