PICO
Monitoring both natural and artificial radioactivity is essential for mapping high-hazard areas and guiding decontamination strategies while minimizing direct personnel exposure. At the same time, it poses significant challenges, driving innovation in detection technologies, portable instrumentation, and advanced analytical methods. Beyond surveillance, natural radioactivity also serves as a powerful tracer for investigating ecosystems, groundwater flow systems, understanding geological processes, surface water-groundwater interactions and exploring environmental dynamics across multiple scales. Environmental radioactivity monitoring is evolving from manual approaches to proactive, autonomous and data-driven methodologies. Artificial Intelligence, robotics and UAVs are expanding the possibilities of data collection and analysis: robotic platforms enable detailed environmental mapping in complex settings, while UAVs equipped with advanced sensors provide rapid, large-scale and 3D observations.
This session embraces all the aspects and challenges of environmental radioactivity including geological surveys, mineral exploration, atmospheric, groundwater contamination, radon hazard and risk assessment. We particularly welcome studies exploring the use of natural and/or fallout radionuclides as environmental tracers, their applications to ecosystem dynamics, and their impact on public health, including challenges related to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). Equally encouraged are contributions presenting innovative methodologies and instrumentation for radioactivity monitoring.
PICO: Wed, 6 May, 16:15–18:00 | PICO spot 3
The NORM-BMI project is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded study designed to (i) investigate activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides in key building-material categories used in Ireland, and (ii) develop recommendations on how Ireland should adopt the EU Basic Safety Standards (EU-BSS, 2013/59/Euratom) for building materials.
A three-batch sampling strategy was adopted. Batch 1 covered common bulk materials (concrete, cement, aggregates, gypsum products, plaster and tiles) to enable comparison with recent European datasets. Batch 2 targeted aggregates, construction sands and demolition materials, extending the sample range to legacy and recycled products. Batch 3 included aggregates from different geological locations (influenced by Tellus data), industrial by-products and imported tiles.
The radiological assessment is based on the activity concentration Gamma Index (Iγ) defined in the EU-BSS, a screening quantity derived solely from the activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40, with Iγ = 1 corresponding to the reference level of 1 mSv·y⁻¹ for bulk building materials. Samples are measured by high-resolution HPGe gamma spectrometry in three laboratories: the EPA Laboratory (Dublin), University College Dublin (UCD) and the University of Cantabria (Spain). EPA and UCD employ closely harmonised procedures, including identical container geometries, whereas the Spanish laboratory (the only one of the three accredited for building-material measurements) uses different sealing protocols, count times and geometries, providing a realistic interlaboratory comparison under non-identical but operationally relevant conditions.
Preliminary results show that all bulk construction materials investigated (concretes, cements, aggregates and sands) exhibit Iγ values below the EU-BSS screening level of 1, while some tiles yield indices slightly above 1 but within the higher limit applicable to superficial materials. Together with a review of regulatory practice in other EU Member States, these results underpin practical recommendations for how Ireland could phase in EU-BSS compliant control of NORM in construction materials and design a scalable national monitoring programme.
How to cite: Dodek, M., El Houd, R., Foley, M., and Goggins, J.: NORM-BMI: Investigation of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in building materials in Ireland. , EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-609, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-609, 2026.
The current prices of active radon detectors are around 250 euros. They are readily available to all Europeans. However, when choosing a particular detector, there is always the issue of the accuracy of its readings. Our previous research, which focused on determining the measurement seasons for active radon detectors available on the market, indicated the need to address this issue. To this end, pilot studies of several selected radon detector models were conducted in a radon chamber. The results show that the price of a detector does not always correspond to the quality of the measurements, but at the same time, when compared with professional AlphaGuard detectors, some models have measurement potential. The conference will present the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the analysed meters. The results presented will initiate a discussion on the creation of a protocol for the evaluation of devices in measurement practice available to every radon researcher. In addition, an idea for the construction of a low-cost radon meter for soil air will be presented.
Funding
The work was supported by the 'PhDBoost' Program for doctoral students of the Doctoral School of Poznan University of Technology (in 2024) from the University’s subsidy financed from the funds of Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
How to cite: Kubiak, J., Grządziel, D., and Basińska, M.: Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of inexpensive radon meters as a basis for discussion on the creation of a protocol for their evaluation, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1183, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1183, 2026.
Natural radioactivity constitutes an intrinsic characteristic of the terrestrial environment, subjecting the biosphere to a continuous flux of ionizing radiation. However, conventional pedagogical frameworks frequently neglect empirical engagement with environmental radioactivity, thereby failing to mitigate prevalent misconceptions regarding nuclear physics. This failure represents a significant barrier to fostering student interest in scientific careers, which is essential for sustainable development. This work details an experiential learning framework implemented at the INFN National Laboratory of Frascati (LNF), wherein students employed the CAEN GammaEDU system to characterize the spatial distribution of natural environmental radioactivity.
Seventy-one in situ gamma-ray measurements were acquired across a 0.12 km2 footprint using the CAEN GammaEDU system equipped with a 3" NaI(Tl) scintillator. Real-time energy spectra were analyzed to quantify abundances of Potassium (K), equivalent Uranium (eU), and equivalent Thorium (eTh) over an integration time of 420 seconds per point, with concurrent logging of geospatial and visual data. The measurement campaign stratified the study area into seven distinct surface types (asphalt, bricks, cement, grass, gravel, porphyry, and playground) with a 70 cm diameter field-of-view. Spatial distribution maps were subsequently generated via collocated Co-kriging, a multivariate interpolation technique leveraging the spatial autocorrelation of sparse radiometric data and its cross-correlation with surface classification.
It resulted that the average concentrations in the area (7.0 ± 0.5 μg/g for eU, 40.5 ± 5.8 μg/g for eTh, and 2.7 ± 0.4% for K) are significantly exceed global soil abundances (2.9 ± 0.3 μg/g for eU, 8.0 ± 0.7 μg/g for eTh, and 1.20 ± 0.07% for K. The average total activity concentration in the area is 1087 ± 215 Bq/kg with the highest values (1896 ± 192 Bq/kg) in asphalt and the lowest concentration (417 ± 265 Bq/kg) in the bricks surface type.
This experiential approach gave students direct access to professional scientific instrumentation, allowing them to navigate the entire experimental lifecycle from data acquisition to geostatistical analysis. This process helped solidify their conceptual understanding of environmental radioactivity and highlighted the vital role technological literacy plays in developing future talent. By effectively bridging the gap between abstract theory and applied research, the project successfully increased student motivation and engagement with the subject matter.
How to cite: Hasnain, G., Abdelkader, M., Alberi, M., Corallo, A., De Vita, L. M., Diegoli, A., Elek, N. I., Esen, E. C., Grazzi, R., Mantovani, F., Mattone, C., Raptis, K. G. C., Spadetto, C., and Trevisan, A.: Mapping environmental radioactivity: integrating portable gamma-ray spectrometry into experiential science education, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-18695, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-18695, 2026.
An innovative atmospheric gradient approach for monitoring radon-222 exhalation from uranium mining tailings disposal sites is developed and evaluated within the FLURAD project (2024–2027). Radon-222, a major contributor to natural radiation exposure, is both a radiological concern and a powerful tracer of surface–atmosphere exchanges. On former uranium mining sites, conventional accumulation chamber techniques provide direct but spatially limited surface exhalation flux measurements and require site accessibility. The proposed approach adapts the atmospheric gradient method to radon by combining vertical profiles of atmospheric radon concentration with a detailed characterization of turbulent transport. Atmospheric concentrations are obtained from short-lived radon progeny produced inside dedicated decay chambers supplied with filtered air, ensuring that only gaseous radon enters the system and avoiding uncertainties related to outdoor disequilibrium between radon and its progeny. An exploratory field campaign conducted on a former uranium tailings disposal site demonstrates the operational feasibility of this indirect, spatially integrated monitoring strategy. Results were compared with simultaneous accumulation chamber measurements to assess methodological consistency, applicability limits and uncertainty sources, contributing to the advancement of innovative environmental radioactivity monitoring approaches.
How to cite: Laguionie, P., Blanchart, P., Hebert, D., Hamroun, Y., Solier, L., and Greau, C.: An innovative atmospheric gradient approach for monitoring radon-222 exhalation from uranium mining tailings, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9038, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9038, 2026.
Radon (222Rn) constitutes a primary source of public radiation exposure, posing significant health risks like lung cancer. This study investigates the dynamics of indoor radon accumulation and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies within the Laboratory of Natural Radiation (LNR), a unique facility situated in a former uranium mine in Saelices el Chico, Spain. We present a hybrid methodology that integrates experimental monitoring with high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, along with a high-precision reconstruction methodology.
Accurate risk assessment in complex terrains requires precise boundary conditions often missed by standard meteorological data. To overcome this, we utilized an automated CFD tool to reconstruct the surrounding topography and built environment, revealing discrepancies of up to 20% between raw regional meteorological records and the actual simulated wind fields affecting the site. These corrected parameters were used inside seasonal simulations of natural ventilation, which were compared against a forced ventilation scenario using an industrial fan.
The results demonstrate the critical limitations of passive strategies in poorly connected spaces. Under natural ventilation conditions across four seasons, air renewal rates remained critically low, ranging from 0.13 to 0.25 Air Changes per Hour (ACH). Consequently, simulated radon concentrations in the studied room consistently exceeded 10,000 Bq/m3. In contrast, the mechanical ventilation model, which showed strong agreement with experimental results, achieved up to 2.21 ACH. This active intervention successfully reduced radon levels to approximately 2,000 Bq/m3 within just one hour. These findings underscore the necessity of active decontamination strategies in high-hazard areas and demonstrate the value of detailed environmental reconstruction in predictive modeling for safer infrastructure designs.
How to cite: Suárez Vázquez, M., Varela Ballesta, S., Otero Cacho, A., Pérez Muñuzuri, A., and Mira Pérez, J.: A CFD analysis of natural and forced ventilation strategies for radon management in a uranium mine, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-6473, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-6473, 2026.
The increase in the incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking individuals is triggering lines of research to explore other potential contributing factors. Radon has been identified as a cause of respiratory disease and lung cancer in workers, but lack of sufficient information on radon concentration in private houses may distort the real danger of this gas. An in-depth study is necessary to assess the impact of this gas, which displays highly heterogeneous behaviour depending on parameters such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity… An experiment carried on in a family house, using basic equipment (e.g., RadonEye counter) has shown that although it is published that low atmospheric pressures cause an increase of radon indoors, during the experiment, heavy storms produced a drop in the concentration of indoor radon. This behaviour should be further studied, as heavy storms seem to be more frequent due to climate change. Also, the humidity produced by capillary absorption was responsable for the increase on radon concentration, both in a basement and in the floor above. Although ventilation has been proved to be the more effective method to decrease the radon concentration to very low levels, some geographic characteristics, due to weather, make this measure uncomfortable for the domestic comfort. Structural measures such as Active Soil Depressurization (ASD) Systems have been invoked as potential solution, and impermeabilization of walls is also an implemented measure giving acceptable results. Impermeabilization of the most affected walls of the house used for the pilot project derived in a sustainable decrease of radon concentration (both downstairs and upstairs). Epoxy resins were used to cover an inside wall to stop capillary raise of water derived not only from rain, but from watering gardens of houses around. The process of impermeabilization is easy to implement, somehow expensive but less invasive than other structural measures (e.g., ASD), and the achieved level of radon concentration is acceptable for European standards (i.e., below 300 Bq/m3). Now the debate should be if this level is acceptable in terms of health concerns, as the United States of America Environmental Protection Agency recommends values below 148 Bq/m3 and the World Health Organization recommends levels below 100 Bq/m3.
How to cite: Pereira, D.: Understanding the behaviour of indoor radon to prevent health issues., EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-13742, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-13742, 2026.
Soil is our most vulnerable and vital resource in the accelerating context of climate change; therefore, protecting its health from erosion and degradation is not only an environmental objective, but an essential requirement for global food security. Central to this challenge is the precise management of soil moisture (SM). However, current monitoring faces a significant scale gap; satellite-derived products often provide coarse spatial resolution that fails to capture plot-level variability, while in situ field sensors and gravimetric sampling, although highly precise, are resource-intensive, spatially limited, and poorly representative of broader field conditions. This research addresses this gap through a multi-scale monitoring approach that integrates Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) and Proximal Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy (PGRS) with remote sensing data. This combination provides a ground-based calibration layer that is often missing in purely remote-sensing-based approaches. We present two months of stationary monitoring of neutron counts and gamma radiation, combined with Sentinel-2 satellite observations acquired during the same period. The study was conducted on an experimental plot in a Mediterranean environment (Zaragoza, Spain), and incorporates local meteorological precipitation data and SM values from gravimetric calibration. By exploring how these complementary methods can be jointly utilised, we assess their potential to generate products for the calibration and validation of other datasets. The resulting methodological framework provides a transferable basis for SM validation at the agricultural plot scale, leading to more consistent soil moisture products and, ultimately, supporting sustainable water management in precision agriculture.
How to cite: Haji-Habib, A., Latorre, B., Navas, A., and Gaspar, L.: Decoding the Multi-Signal Soil Response: Integrating Proximal Gamma, Cosmic-Ray Neutrons, and Sentinel-2 for Plot-Scale Soil Moisture Monitoring, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22534, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22534, 2026.
Uranium (U), a naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), is a major contributor to environmental radioactivity in groundwater systems. In U-bearing geological formations, its mobility and related radiological risk are strongly influenced by hydrogeological and biogeochemical processes, yet their seasonal variability and associated health risks remain poorly constrained. We investigated seasonal changes in groundwater chemistry, dissolved uranium, and microbial activity in a fractured aquifer hosted in U-rich bedrock. Groundwater samples were collected under contrasting hydrological conditions and analyzed for major ions, redox-sensitive species, uranium concentrations, and microbial community structure. Our results reveal pronounced seasonal variations in uranium mobility linked to shifts in redox conditions and groundwater recharge. Wet season recharge and enhanced microbial activity promoted reducing conditions and uranium immobilization, whereas dry season oxidizing conditions enhanced U(VI) mobilization, leading to elevated dissolved uranium concentrations and increased radiological exposure potential. These findings demonstrate that groundwater-biogeochemical interactions exert major control on uranium mobility and associated health risks, highlighting the need to jointly consider groundwater quality and radiological exposure in water resource management. Incorporating seasonal dynamics is therefore essential for reliable NORM-related groundwater risk assessment and the protection of drinking water resources in U-bearing aquifers.
[This abstract is based on the published paper: Kim, Jaeyeon, et al. "Seasonal variation of groundwater quality and potential risks in U-bearing formations revealed from hydrogeological-microbiological investigation." Environmental Research 276 (2025): 121544.]
[Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government(MSIT) (No. 2022R1A5A1085103) and the Institute for Korea Spent Nuclear Fuel (iKSNF) and National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea Government (Ministry of Science and ICT, MSIT) (NRF-2021M2E1A1099413).]
How to cite: Kim, J., Kim, Y. J., and Lee, K.-K.: Seasonal controls on uranium mobility and radiological risk in groundwater of U-bearing formations, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-6172, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-6172, 2026.
Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils represents a significant environmental and agronomic challenge, particularly in vineyard systems where copper-based fungicides and phosphate fertilizers are intensively applied. These contaminants pose risks to soil health and food safety and may lead to export restrictions for agricultural products. Conventional soil monitoring approaches, which rely mainly on point-based and laboratory-centered analyses, are often time-consuming and costly.
This study proposes a multi-source and non-destructive framework to assess heavy metal distributions in vineyard soils by integrating natural radionuclide measurements, satellite-derived spectral indices, and soil physico-chemical properties. Soil samples were collected from conventionally managed vineyard parcels located in Western Anatolia. Activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K) were measured by gamma spectrometry. Physico-chemical properties including pH, electrical conductivity, and moisture content were also determined in the soil samples. This data was then combined with corresponding Sentinel-2 spectral bands and indices such as NDWI. This data set was then used to train and evaluate an integrated predictive framework to predict ground truth heavy metal concentrations measured by ICP-OES.
This holistic approach offers a promising pathway toward non-destructive and rapid monitoring of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils. By combining natural radionuclide measurements, remote sensing data, and soil physicochemical properties, this approach has the potential to provide cost-effective soil contamination screening.
How to cite: Tırpancı, A., Plana, Ç., Güler, E., Yoho, M. D., and Yoho, B.: Investigating heavy metal distributions in vineyard soils using satellite data and natural radionuclides, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-6906, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-6906, 2026.
In the absence of measurements of naturally occurring radionuclides in foods grown on well-characterized soils with respect to their nuclide vector, soil-to-plant transfer factors are used to estimate the nuclide vectors of the food. This approach allows for the estimation of radiation exposure to humans due to the ingestion of these foods. For such calculations, it is assumed that all nuclides of the same element share the same soil-to-plant transfer factor, meaning they are treated in a nuclide-nonspecific manner. Typically, these transfer factors have been determined primarily for the most easily measurable nuclide of an element. However, exposure assessments might be inaccurate if the transfer of nuclides from soils to plants varies by nuclide of the same element.
In this study, a literature review was conducted to identify nuclide-specific transfer factors for uranium, thorium, and radium. The aim of the study is to explore whether there are differences in soil-to-plant transfer factors among the long-lived nuclides of the same element. The focus was on studies presenting measurements from the same soil and plant material for at least two nuclides of the same element. The following nuclide systems were examined: 238U – 234U; 232Th – 230Th – 228Th; and 226Ra – 228Ra. In particular, the latter nuclide pair is critical for assessing radiation exposure due to food ingestion, and differences in transfer factors between 226Ra and 228Ra could have significant implications. The analysis of the collected literature data suggests that slight differences can occur across all nuclide systems, and that more attention should be directed towards investigating the transfer factors for 226Ra – 228Ra and 232Th – 228Th as observed differences are larger.
How to cite: Fohlmeister, J. and Tischenko, O.: A literature study on nuclide specific soil-to-plant transfer factors for uranium, thorium and radium, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-5386, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-5386, 2026.
The EyeRAD project establishes a national network across eight sections of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) (Milano, Milano-Bicocca, Ferrara, Bari, Napoli, LNF-Frascati, LNGS-Assergi, and LNS–Catania) for the monitoring of atmospheric radioactivity. A key challenge of the network lies in the heterogeneity of the detection systems employed, which range from high-resolution HPGe spectrometers to scintillation detectors like NaI(Tl) and CeBr3 used for early warning. To ensure comparable analytical sensitivity and rapid response despite this instrumental diversity, a harmonized measurement protocol has been developed and validated.
All laboratories operate identical high-volume air samplers with a nominal flow rate of 1000 L·min⁻¹, collecting atmospheric particulate matter on glass fiber filters corresponding to a sampled volume of approximately 1.4x103 m³ per 23-hour session. The measurement strategy adopts a sequential counting approach performed at fixed intervals (typically 2, 5, 24, 48, and 72 hours) after sampling. This schedule is physically motivated by the decay kinetics of short-lived radon progeny specifically 214Pb and 214Bi from the 222Rn chain, and 212Pb and 208Tl from the 220Rn chain which dominate the gamma background in the initial hours. The progressive decay of these natural contributions significantly enhances the detectability of longer-lived radionuclides.
The protocol includes the monitoring of 210Pb as a tracer for natural background stability and aerosol load, and cosmogenic 7Be as an independent quality indicator, with measured concentrations consistently falling within the expected 2-8mBqm-3 range. In terms of sensitivity, the protocol achieves Minimum Detectable Activities (MDAs) for anthropogenic radionuclides 131I and 137Cs in the order of 1-3x10-5 Bqm-3, and approximately 10-2 Bqm-3 for 210Pb (based on 24-hour live time measurements with HPGe detectors). Finally, to ensure accessibility and transparency, all results and metadata are centrally collected and published via a public web application (https://www.eyerad-infn.it/).
How to cite: Elek, N. I., Groppi, F., and Sisti, M. and the EyeRAD Collaboration: EyeRAD: an INFN network for airborne radioactivity monitoring, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-18729, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-18729, 2026.
Since the Nuclear Era in 1940s, substantial amounts of anthropogenic radionuclides have been released into the environment, primarily from the fallout of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing, discharges from nuclear installations and releases from nuclear accidents. In recent years, the application of long-lived anthropogenic radionuclides, such as Tc-99, I-129, Cs-135, U-233 and U-236 as tracers in the environment has been increasingly adopted.
Due to their long residence time and unique fingerprint of their isotopic ratios, these tracers are particularly promising in studying long-rang transport and mixing in marine, terrestrial or atmospheric system. For example, anthropogenic radioisotopes released from the European reprocessing plants have been widely used as point-source tracers to track transport pathways and time scales of the Atlantic waters in the Polar region.
This paper aims to provide a holistic overview of our series research on exploring anthropogenic radioisotopes (Tc-99, I-129, Cs-135, U-233 and U-236) in the Baltic Sea, the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, in coupling with models, for source identification, pollutant dynamic and oceanic tracer studies.
How to cite: Qiao, J.: Environmental Tracers Studies using Anthropogenic Radioisotopes, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22840, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22840, 2026.
The growing reliance on nuclear energy to attain carbon neutrality underscores the critical necessity for advanced environmental radioactivity monitoring. Currently, determining 137Cs levels in marine environments typically exceeds four days, creating a pressing need for efficient, high-throughput pretreatment systems for rapid analysis. In this study, we developed a membrane-capacitive deionization (MCDI) cell specifically designed for the electrochemical enrichment of Cs, utilizing nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) as the electrode material due to its high selectivity and redox characteristics. NiHCF electrodes were fabricated via electrospraying and casting methods, followed by comprehensive characterization using SEM, BET/BJH, TGA, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results demonstrated that electrosprayed coatings achieved significantly higher adsorption/desorption efficiency than cast coatings, a superiority attributed to their highly porous structure which facilitates interfacial electrochemical reactions. To address the challenge of ion interference in seawater - where competing cations cause rapid electrode saturation and hinder Cs migration - a pulsed voltage application method was introduced. This approach periodically refreshes the electrode surface, increasing the frequency and duration of Cs migration and subsequently enhancing adsorption efficiency by up to 90%. Furthermore, the performance was validated using a large-scale MCDI cell. These findings suggest that this technology is a promising pretreatment method for the rapid analysis of 137Cs in real seawater, contributing significantly to the advancement of environmental radioactivity monitoring.
How to cite: Ryu, J. and Kim, G.: Electrochemical Enrichment of Radioactive 137Cs using MCDI for Rapid Monitoring in Marine Environments, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4654, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4654, 2026.
Sulphur-35 (35S) is a cosmogenic radionuclide ( ) that after rapid oxidation to sulphate enters the hydrological cycle via precipitation. Unlike many other tracers, ³⁵S provides direct evidence of stratospheric contributions to surface-level chemistry, which is critical for atmospheric and air quality modelling. Furthermore, 35S can be used to reconstruct input functions for groundwater dating. Little is known, however, about how 35S varies in precipitation as a function of time and space.
Traditional analytical approaches for 35S have been limited and challenged by large sample volume requirements, complex processing steps, and high uncertainties in liquid scintillation counting. To address these limitations, a robust, field-deployable method, optimised for diverse hydrological matrices including precipitation, rivers, lakes, and shallow groundwater was developed (Wangari et. al. 2025). Specifically, for analysing 35SO42- in precipitation at the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory (IAEA) laboratory (Vienna, Austria), we achieved a reduction of required sample volumes to one Litre without compromising analytical sensitivity. First, this effort facilitates the event-based sampling which enables a finer temporal scale for 35S, allowing to discern different atmospheric constellations. Second, this streamlined protocol significantly increases the ability to ease sample collection, storage and international shipping. The workflow has been optimized for traceability, eliminating laboratory handling error risks and maximizing the detection of 35S in low activity measurements. Ion Chromatography is used to quantify potential losses of sulphate and consider different chemical compositions in precipitation. We discuss the purification steps used to eliminate interfering radionuclides, quenching agents, and chemiluminescence to reduce background and increase efficiency. Event-based precipitation 35S data from Vienna demonstrates the prowess of this method and distinguish atmospheric processes throughout the study period.
Wangari, S., Harjung, A., Machado, D., McGuire, B., Schubert, M., Kopitz, J., Lin, M., Copia, L., and Bibby, R.: Field sampling, sample preparation and measurement of radio-sulfur in natural water samples, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17720, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17720, 2025.
How to cite: Alam, A., Wangari, S., McGuire, B., Copia, L., Machado, D., Terzer-Wassmuth, S., Monteiro, L., and Harjung, A.: Paving the way to understand Sulphur-35 deposition via precipitation in time and space by fine-tuning sample preparation and analytical method, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-19980, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-19980, 2026.
Ambient gamma dose rate represents the integrated near-surface gamma radiation field resulting from contributions of terrestrial radionuclides and radon progeny, secondary cosmic radiation, and atmospheric radiation sources. Continuous monitoring of ambient gamma dose rate constitutes a fundamental component of radiological early-warning systems, as it provides a direct operational proxy for external radiation exposure to population. Time series of ambient gamma dose rate exhibit variability over a wide range of temporal scales, including short-term anomalies driven by meteorological processes, geophysical conditions, or anthropogenic influences. Accurate characterisation of these anomalies, and robust discrimination between natural drivers - such as soil–atmosphere exchange processes, boundary-layer dynamics, and hydrometeorological forcing - and potential anthropogenic contributions, is essential for enhancing early-warning capabilities and improving the detection of anomalous radioactive releases. A key challenge in this context is the scarcity of high-resolution, high-quality collocated meteorological observations required to support such analyses.
This study presents a detailed characterization of anomalies in ambient gamma dose rate using comprehensive meteorological information and high-resolution (1-min) gamma dose-rate measurements from the Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) observatory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. Through the joint analysis of gamma radiation and a broad set of meteorological parameters - including precipitation, eddy covariance fluxes, aerosol properties, and lidar derived atmospheric structure - we identify and classify distinct types of short-term gamma radiation anomalies. These include precipitation-induced enhancements, quasi-daily anomalies associated with stable nocturnal boundary-layer conditions and near-surface radon accumulation, and anomalies linked to long-range transported dust events. This AI-ready, supervised dataset enables detailed investigation and modelling of ambient gamma dose-rate variability in the Azores and provides a transferable framework for training machine-learning algorithms to automatically classify gamma radiation anomalies at monitoring sites lacking comprehensive meteorological instrumentation.
The present study is part of project NuClim (Nuclear observations to improve Climate research and GHG emission estimates). Project NuClim received funding from the EURATOM research and training program 2023-2025 under Grant Agreement No 101166515). The NuClim field campaign at the Eastern North Atlantic, Graciosa Island ARM Observatory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, through the ARM Program.
How to cite: Moniz, L., Melintescu, A., Neacsu, A., Azevedo, E., and Barbosa, S.: Detailed characterisation of ambient gamma dose rate anomalies based on comprehensive meteorological information from the ENA Observatory (Azores), EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17684, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17684, 2026.
