Automatic measurement and alert network

National automatic measurement and alert network

To be able to respond effectively to a nuclear emergency and assess its radiological impact, Luxembourg began installing a national automatic measurement and alert network in 1983.

The purpose of this network is to:

• continuously monitor ambient radioactivity and natural background radiation;
• detect uncontrolled and accidental discharges from nuclear facilities in neighbouring countries;
• alert the national authorities in the event of a nuclear emergency;
• provide a rapid overview of the radiological situation.

This network operates fully automatically, and alerts the authorities if radioactivity levels are detected that exceed the background level of natural radiation.

The SIG-GR project website

The SIG-GR project website (available in German and French) includes a map showing the hourly average ambient gamma radiation dose rates recorded by the following institutions:

• France: Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire (IRSN)
• Luxembourg: ministère de la Santé / Division de la radioprotection
• Belgium: Agence fédérale de contrôle nucléaire (AFCN)
• Germany: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS)

Data from the following regional institutions in the Greater Region are also available:

• Rhineland-Palatinate: Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Klimaschutz, Energie und Landesplanung
• Saarland: Ministerium für Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz des Saarlandes