Work

Calculation of the Increase in Dose Rate Due to Precipitation at the Bilbao Radiological Station of the Basque Country Radiological Surveillance Network

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The Radiological Surveillance Network of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country continuously monitors environmental dose rate levels to detect potential radiological anomalies. However, during rainfall events, increases in dose rate that occasionally exceed predefined alarm thresholds have been observed, despite the absence of radiological incidents. This study presents a predictive model to estimate the increase in dose rate caused by precipitation events at the Bilbao monitoring station. The model accounts for the atmospheric scavenging of radon progeny by raindrops and their subsequent deposition on horizontal surfaces surrounding the detector. Atmospheric transport, radioactive decay, washout processes, and rainwater accumulation dynamics are incorporated into the formulation. The model is implemented numerically using a finite-difference scheme and validated against experimental measurements from the monitoring station. The results (correlation coefficient, BIAS, RMSE) show good agreement between calculated and measured dose rate increases during precipitation episodes, indicating that the observed variations are mainly attributable to the deposition of short-lived radon progeny.

Source: Sensors

DOI: 10.3390/s26144560

Authors: Natalia Alegría, Miguel Ángel Hernández-Ceballos, Igor Peñalva, Fernando Legarda

Institutions: University of the Basque Country, University of Córdoba

Language: English

Topic: Radioactivity and Radon Measurements

Subfield: Radiation

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137