Nuclear Protection Department

Nuclear Protection Department

Nuclear Protection Department provides research and expert activities mainly in the field of natural radioactivity, in particular in four main branches – measurement of aerosols, radon measurement, radiochemistry and dosimetry.

Authorised Metrological Centre

The Institute operates the Authorised Metrological Centre (AMC), within the Czech Republic providing metrological traceability of measuring instruments for the measurement of radon volume activity (RVA) and radon equivalent volume activity (REVA). The AMC is authorised by the Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing, accredited by the Czech Institute for Accreditation according to ČSN EN/IEC 17025:2005 and certified by Lloyd´s according to ČSN EN ISO 9001 (Quality Management System), ČSN EN ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) and ČSN ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).

The AMC ensures the verification of measuring instruments of immediate values of RVA and REVA; measuring instruments operating in step or interval mode; continuous or pseudo-continuous measuring instruments; instruments measuring short-time or long-time average of RVA and short-time average of REVA.

The AMC regularly participates in the metrological traceability to foreign organisations (in the past, NRPB Chilton or PTB Braunschweig, currently BfS Berlin). The deviation between the AMC and BfS Berlin from the last metrological traceability in 2017 was -4 % (scintillation chambers NY + analyser NP-420L), -2 % (scintillation chambers NY + analyser FASA) and -1 % (AlphaGuard).

Apart from the AMC, the Institute operates Calibration Laboratory (CL) accredited by the Czech Institute for Accreditation. Within this laboratory, the Institute closely cooperated with high-ranking foreign organisations (e.g. PTB Braunschweig, BfS Berlin, NIRS Chiba, NRPB Chilton, VNIIFTRI Mendeleyevo Moscow, Universiteit Gent Belgium, NPL Teddington, SMÚ Bratislava and others). Within the CL, the Institute participated in a series of international comparison measurements and projects (e.g. Badgastein – Austria 1991; Příbram – Czech Republic 1997; US mine and EPA laboratory 1998; project EUROMET 2006; and current project MetroRADON).

The activity of the AMC aiming in improving quality of radiological protection in the Czech Republic, in particular in the field of minimising the interior RVA, which in average is much higher than the world average. The Institute closely cooperates within these activities with SONS.

Radon Measurement Laboratory

Radon Measurement Laboratory (RML) is a division of the Nuclear Protection Department. RML task is to measure natural radionuclides for individuals and organisations as required by Act No. 263/2016, Coll. (The Atomic Act) and related regulations of the SONS, or to carry out other measurements. The RML has obtained the approval of the SONS for such activity and its personnel hold certificates of special professional competency for the performed activity. The RML has been accredited by the Czech Institute for Accreditation.

RML performs both, field and laboratory expert evaluations in the area of radiological protection according to the Atomic Act and Decree No. 422/2016, Coll.:

  • Radiological analysis of drinking waters
  • Measurements at workplaces
  • Radon measurement in living and dwelling rooms
  • Measurement of radon index of building sites
  • Monitoring of workplaces III and IV categories

Dosimetry and Radioactivity Monitoring Laboratory

Dosimetry and Radioactivity Monitoring Laboratory (DRML) is a division of the Nuclear Protection Department created by the merger of the Trace Dosimetry Laboratory and the Personal Dosimetry and Monitoring Laboratory. DRML took over in full activities of the above-mentioned laboratories (i.e. determination of presence, kind, concentration and quantity of natural radionuclides in working and natural environment and in materials).

DRML provides the required laboratory determinations for DDSS (Detached Department for Supervision Support) within the support rendered to supervision executed by Regional Centre of the SONS, Kamenná, and it cooperates with the National Radiation Protection Institute Prague or Hradec Králové within the Radon Programme of the Czech Republic.
DRML performs laboratory expert evaluations and field measurements in order to ensure the radiological protection according to Act No. 263/2016, Coll. and Decree No. 422/2016, Coll.:

  • Radiological analysis of drinking water
  • Trace dosimetry
  • Gamma spectrometry
  • Personal dosimetry
  • Measurement at workplaces
  • Monitoring of workplaces of III and IV categories

Specific Activities of the Department

A wide range of technical and measuring equipment are available at Nuclear Protection Department to perform experiments and measurements in the field of radiological protection, testing of personal protective equipment, testing of protective masks and respirators, decontamination experiments, measurement of dose rate of gamma radiation of large areas by means of a drone, etc.

Selected special services and infrastructure of the Nuclear Protection Department:

  • Radon-aerosol chamber
  • RamaRn – radon passive detectors
  • Multicopter with the pod for the PPDE measurement
  • Study of radioactive aerosol behaviour
  • Study of decontamination of radioactively contaminated surfaces
  • Testing of the efficiency of personal protective equipment
  • Education and training activities