University co-ordinates airborne environmental radioactivity survey

Published: 17 May 2002

The Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), based at the University of Glasgow, is co-ordinating an international airborne environmental radioactivity survey exercise involving aircraft teams from ten European countries.

Event date: 24 May to 3 June, West Freugh airbase, Dumfries and Galloway

The Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), based at the University of Glasgow, is co-ordinating an international airborne environmental radioactivity survey exercise involving aircraft teams from ten European countries. The exercise will take place from 24th May to 3rd June at the West Freugh airbase in Dumfries and Galloway.

SUERC has been one of the leading institutions in developing airborne survey methods since the Chernobyl accident, and has for the past 5-6 years been at the centre of initiatives to encourage co-operation between European teams.

The exercise will bring together some 10 European teams who are experts in making measurements of environmental radioactivity using equipment operated from aircraft, mainly helicopters, known as the Airborne Gamma Spectrometry method, to make measurements over selected areas of South West Scotland for calibration purposes. These teams come from UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Portugal. Additionally there will be teams making measurements and collecting samples at ground level, from a combination of UK and European institutions, for the purpose of comparing ground based and airborne methods. It is hoped that the results will help to establish the reliability of the methods used by each team, and to ensure that their results are comparable, so that any future surveys can be used together with confidence.

The operations will be based at the West Freugh airbase in Dumfries and Galloway and measurements will be undertaken throughout much of the region. Dr David Sanderson of SUERC said:
"The area was selected by an international committee after consideration of alternatives in Continental Europe and Scandinavia. It presents a range of attractive environmental conditions for making such comparisons, within reach of a well-located airbase with excellent support facilities.

"SUERC is familiar with the Dumfries and Galloway area, having conducted many surveys in the region since 1988. We are expecting that between the airborne and ground based teams, plus observers and visitors more than 150 people will be visiting the area. For some it will be their first experience of visiting Scotland. As well as making significant scientific achievements, we're expecting them to receive a warm welcome in the area, and hope that for some this will be the first of many visits."

ENDS

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Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

  • For further information contact Dr David Sanderson, SUERC, East Kilbride, 01355 270110 or the University Press Office, 0141 330 3535
  • Full project details can be viewed at http://www.gla.ac.uk/surrc/eccomags/partners.html
  • The exercise will take place from 24th May to 3rd June, with the majority of airborne operations taking place between 27th and 31st May.
  • The air exercise is part of the ECCOMAGS project (European Calibration and Co-ordination of Mobile and Airborne Gamma Spectrometry : www.gla.ac.uk/surrc/eccomags) which SUERC is co-ordinating as a European research project.
  • The project is funded by the European Commission under the Fifth Framework programme. The participating organisations include SSI/SGU (Swedish Radiation Protection Institute, and Geological Survey), BfS (Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Germany), CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission), HSK (Swiss Nuclear Regulatory Authority, ETH - Zurich), GBA (Geological Survey of Austria), DTU/DEMA (Technical University of Denmark, and Danish Emergency Management Agency), NDT (Norwegian Defence Team), IGM (Geological Survey of Portugal), as well as SURRC.
  • UK support has been received from the Scottish Executive, SEPA, Dumfries and Galloway Council, DOE Northern Ireland, Food Standards Agency(London and Scotland), DEFRA, Environment Agency, MOD, QinetiQ, BNFL, NRPB, and for the collaboration and help with ground based work from DSTL, BGS, Liverpool University, Stirling University, and NERC's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

    First published: 17 May 2002

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