Work

The Development and Application of a Continuous Monitoring System for Environmental Radioactivity

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents the development and application of a continuous monitoring system to operate in hybrid mode for the atmospheric and oceanic environments. The developed system integrates a smart version of the underwater in situ sensor named KATERINA to a stationary platform in order to operate as a real-time communication tool. The data are transferred using a mobile telephony network and the power is generated for all modules by a solar panel. The system is applied for a period of around six months in different seasons to detect and identify gradients of environmental radioactivity in the atmosphere. The system observed gamma-ray emitters during dry and wet periods, exhibiting enhanced radon progenies during wet periods as identified in the acquired spectra. Moreover, the gross gamma-ray intensity depends on the radon progenies and is used as a tracer to interpret rainfall events in a qualitative manner. The background gamma-ray spectra during dry periods for different seasons are also discussed in terms of seasonality. The correlation of gamma-ray intensity rate with the rainfall rate is also studied for the wet periods, providing a R2 value of around 75%.

Source: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

DOI: 10.3390/jmse14141340

Authors: Stylianos Alexakis, Christos Tsabaris

Institution: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

Language: English

Topic: Radioactivity and Radon Measurements

Subfield: Radiological and Ultrasound Technology

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137