Three years of operational experience from Schauinsland CTBT monitoring station.
Data from three years of operation of a low-level aerosol sampler and analyzer (RASA) at Schauinsland monitoring station are reported. The system is part of the International Monitoring System (IMS) for verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The fully automatic system is capable to measure aerosol borne gamma emitters with high sensitivity and routinely quantifies 7Be and 212Pb. The system had a high level of data availability of 90% within the reporting period. A daily screening process rendered 66 tentative identifications of verification relevant radionuclides since the system entered IMS operation in February 2004. Two of these were real events and associated to a plausible source. The remaining 64 cases can consistently be explained by detector background and statistical phenomena. Inter-comparison with data from a weekly sampler operated at the same station shows instabilities of the calibration during the test phase and a good agreement since certification of the system.
Federal Office for Radiation Protection, 38226 Salzgitter, Germany. mzaehringer@bfs.de
M
M
Zähringer
J
J
Bieringer
C
C
Schlosser
D000388:Air; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D001608:Beryllium / Q000032:analysis; D002138:Calibration; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D007391:International Cooperation; D007811:Lanthanum / Q000032:analysis; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D009689:Nuclear Warfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D012107:Research Design; D013997:Time Factors
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D007811:Lanthanum; D001608:Beryllium