Environmental Radiological Surveillance Networks with continuous and real-time measurement

Identifier:  TDX:4506

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX4506

Authors:  Cerezo Fernández, Agustín

Abstract:
According to the EURATOM Treaty, each Member State has the obligation to establish infrastructures for the surveillance and control of environmental radioactivity levels in air, water and soil. In Spain, the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) is the highest authority in charge of nuclear safety and radiological protection in the country. To this end, the CSN manages networks of national scope. One of them is implemented in the area of influence of nuclear power plants and other nuclear and radioactive facilities of the nuclear fuel cycle. Catalonia is home to 2 of the 5 nuclear power plants in the Spanish nuclear fleet (Ascó and Vandellòs). Therefore, monitoring environmental radioactivity levels and their origin is of great importance. For this reason, there is an Environmental Radiological Surveillance Network (XVRAC) that monitors environmental radiation levels in Catalonia in real time. This thesis has focused on the development of algorithms and methods for the analysis and calibration of gamma spectrometry monitors belonging to the Network. To this end, two analysis algorithms have been developed in Python and tested in a laboratory, as well as a generic calibration method has been developed and tested, being valid for any Environmental Radiological Surveillance Network for gamma spectrometry. 41 gamma spectrometry monitors have been calibrated using these methods and algorithms. Finally, the thesis concludes with an overview of the different activities related to radiological protection carried out in the Iberian Peninsula in recent years.