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Environmental radiation monitoringBackground radiation, watched everywhere, all the time.
A national radiation monitoring network measures the ambient gamma dose rate at stations across the country, so the authority knows the normal background and sees any rise at once. Stations must report continuously, be calibrated and be trusted in an emergency.
Plan a deploymentHow it worksStation Builder- Industry
- Government
- Measurements
- 4
- Sources cited
- 4
Government · Environmental radiation monitoring
The background, and any rise
A national radiation monitoring network measures the gamma dose rate across the country so the authority knows the normal background everywhere and sees a rise the moment it begins, whether from a facility at home or a release across a border. In an emergency, stations must keep reporting and be trusted.
What is measured
Dose rate, rain and weather
Dose-rate probes stand at the standard height over open ground. A rain gauge beside each probe records the rainfall that washes natural radon progeny to the ground, and weather sensors record wind for plume estimates. Selected stations sample air for laboratory analysis of nuclides.
- Instruments
- Gamma dose-rate probe · Rain gauge · Weather sensors · Air sampler
The base node
Rain or release
The station node compares each dose rate with the station’s own background and its rainfall. Rises that rain explains are labelled; unexplained rises shorten the reporting interval and alert the authority at once. Every value is signed, so the record is trusted in an emergency.
Radio and links
Reporting through the emergency
Stations report every few minutes over public cellular. Stations near facilities also have a satellite path, so they keep reporting when terrestrial networks fail, and batteries for days of autonomy carry them through power cuts. Values reach the authority and the exchange in agreed formats.
- Links
- Public cellular · Satellite
How it works
From a probe to the duty officer
Dose rates rise at three stations downwind of a border facility with no rain recorded. The nodes shorten their intervals and flag the rise, the duty officer sees the pattern on the national map, neighbours see the same data through the exchange, and the emergency plan begins.
From order to operation · Order
Scope the network and its duties
The scope reads the existing stations, the facilities at home and across borders, emergency planning zones, the authority’s duties to report and exchange, and its emergency plans. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns a station plan, the reporting and exchange design and a price per station and per year.
Plan a deploymentFrom order to operation · Survey
Survey open ground
Crews visit each candidate site for open, level ground away from buildings and trees, representative surroundings, power, backhaul and public access. Background is measured on site, and the survey is recorded with photographs and coordinates. Findings shape the kit for each site before anything is built.
From order to operation · Permits
Land and public information
Land agreements are signed with owners, mostly public bodies, and planning approval is sought where needed. The authority prepares public information about what the stations measure, because visible probes raise questions that published data can answer. No crew goes to site before its approvals are in place.
From order to operation · Build
Build and calibrate
Probes are calibrated in a laboratory traceable to national standards before they ship; stations are assembled with rain gauges, weather sensors, nodes and backhaul, enrolled with their identities and run together for days before they leave the shop. Nothing ships until the whole kit has passed its tests together.
Open the Station BuilderFrom order to operation · Install
Install at standard height
Crews set the probe at the standard height over open ground, mount the rain gauge and weather sensors, install the cabinet, power and backhaul, and photograph every part. The station position and surroundings are recorded with the station. Crews follow the site safety plan throughout the work.
From order to operation · Commission
Commission and learn the background
Each node proves its identity, readings are checked with a travelling reference source and instrument, reports reach the authority and the exchange, and the station records weeks of background with rainfall before its alarm thresholds are set. Acceptance is recorded with the owner before handover.
From order to operation · Operate
Watch the country continuously
The authority sees every station’s dose rate, its background and rainfall, data completeness and alarms. Rises explained by rain are labelled, unexplained rises alert duty officers at once, and neighbours see the same data through the exchange. Every alert and action is kept on the record.
From order to operation · Maintain
Recalibrate and exercise
Probes are recalibrated on the agreed plan, stations are checked on visits, software updates roll out in rings, and the network takes part in national and international emergency exercises. Every change and exercise is kept with the station record. Maintenance history stays with each site for its whole life.
Book field servicesData products
For the authority and the public
The radiation protection authority receives a live national dose-rate map; duty officers and emergency services receive unexplained rise alerts; the public and media receive published hourly values with an explanation; neighbouring authorities and international platforms receive the exchanged data, each with station and time.
See the data productsEvidence
Trusted in an emergency
Probes meet the international standard for environmental photon radiation equipment and are calibrated traceably. Monitoring follows the international safety guidance on environmental monitoring and on emergency preparedness, and data support the reporting duties of the Euratom Treaty. Every value, alarm and exercise is kept.
- Drawn against
- IEC 61017 · IAEA Safety Standards RS-G-1.8 · IAEA GSR Part 7 · Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, Articles 35 and 36
What you get
Environmental exposure monitoring for health programmes
Heat, air and water exposure measurements around facilities and communities; no diagnosis or treatment. Delivered as managed service and data licence, for health authorities, hospital networks, employers. Scale: City to national. Service levels are written as numbers you can measure on your own dashboard.
Talk to salesNext step
Plan environmental radiation monitoring with us
Tell us the site, the measurements and the rules it answers to. We reply with a survey proposal, a design and a scope for environmental radiation monitoring. An engineer replies with a survey proposal and a scope, and the plan grows from one site to the network you need, at your pace.
Plan a deploymentOpen the Station BuilderOpen the Studio
01The place and its hazards
Where it runs, and what can go wrong.
Operating contextRadiation protection authorities run early warning networks of dose-rate probes, often hundreds of stations, and share data with neighbours. Monitoring follows international safety guidance for environmental monitoring and emergency preparedness, instruments meet the standard for environmental photon radiation equipment, and in Europe member states report environmental radioactivity under the Euratom Treaty.
Hazards
- Releases from facilities at home or across borders
- Stations silent when they are needed in an emergency
- Natural changes from rain washing out radon progeny mistaken for releases
- Probes drifting out of calibration
- Public mistrust when data are not published
02What must be measured
What, where, how often, and under which rules.
Each measurement names where it is taken, how often, and the public standard or regulation behind it. Numbers in the sources column open the cited source below.
| Measurement | Where | Cadence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambient gamma dose rate | Probes at standard height over open ground | Every few minutes, faster in an emergency | 12 |
| Rainfall at the station | A gauge beside the probe | Every few minutes | 2 |
| Air sampling for nuclides | Selected stations with aerosol samplers | Daily, continuous in an emergency | 3 |
| Exchange with neighbours | National node to regional and international platforms | Hourly, faster in an emergency | 43 |
03The observation stack
From one base unit to a network.
The same blocks at every scale: instruments and a base node, a site with its radio, a fleet run as one, and a network federated on the open protocol.
- 01
Base unit
A station: a dose-rate probe at standard height with a rain gauge and weather sensors on a sensor hub and node.
Build a station → - 02
Site
A site: the probe on open ground away from buildings, the station cabinet, power with long backup and two backhaul links.
Plan a site → - 03
Fleet
The national network of stations with one console at the authority and one calibration plan.
Managed offers → - 04
Network
Authorities exchange dose rates with neighbours and international platforms through agreed formats.
The open protocol →
- 01Automatic weather station (WMO class)
- 02Compact weather station
- 03Sensor and instrument gateway
- 04Micro node (Nano)
- 05Cellular modem/router
- 06LEO flat-panel terminal
- 07Solar array
- 08Pole
Radio and links
Public cellular
Stations report every few minutes over cellular in normal times.
Radio and links
Satellite
A satellite path keeps stations near facilities reporting when terrestrial networks fail in an emergency.
Edge computeThe node compares each dose rate with the station’s own background and rainfall, flags rises that rain does not explain, shortens the reporting interval when a threshold is crossed and signs every value.
PowerMains with batteries for days of autonomy, so stations keep reporting through the power cuts that can accompany an emergency; remote stations run on solar.
04How it works
From the instrument to the product.
One observation’s path, tier by tier, with the interface on every link and a bill of materials below; then how the one node grows to a site, a fleet and federated networks.
Environmental radiation monitoring: data path
– of 07
01 Instruments Measurement with sensor identity andcalibration 02 Gateway 03 Node – Wrap in an observation envelope with timequality– Measure quality and uncertainty, attachquality flags– Buffer locally (store-and-forward when thelink drops) 04 Backhaul Commit with transactional outbox andpublish, delivered at least once 05 Site Consumer inbox deduplicates and applieseach record once into governed data 06 Data store Governed product through API, map orexport, correction-aware 07 Products OGC SensorThings APIMQTTIRIX 08 Power and structure Supplies 12 V DC, 48 V DC to the fieldequipment Ambient gamma dose-rate probe Not in the reference kit 01 Automatic weather station (WMOclass) SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 02 Compact weather station SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 03 Sensor and instrument gateway SDI-12 · RS-485 · Analogue I/O ·Ethernet · USB 04 Micro node (Nano) Ethernet · USB · Analogue I/O ·RS-485 · CAN 05 Cellular modem/router Ethernet · USB · RS-232 06 LEO flat-panel terminal Ethernet Site MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B Governed data store Versioned, correction-aware Live national dose-rate map Unexplained rise alerts Published hourly values Data exchanged with neighbours 07 Solar array RS-485 08 Pole RS-485 SDI-12 · SDI-12 SDI-12 · SDI-12 Ethernet · MQTT 5 Ethernet Ethernet LTE/NR Satellite IP| Item | Equipment | Data ports | Protocols | Power in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Automatic weather station (WMO class)Automatic weather station built and sited to WMO-No. 8 instrument and siting classes, reporting WIGOS metadata. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 02 | Compact weather stationAll-in-one or compact station for temperature, humidity, pressure, wind and rain at a site. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 03 | Sensor and instrument gatewayData logger and gateway that reads instruments on SDI-12, RS-485, analogue and Ethernet ports and publishes observations with calibration and time. | SDI-12RS-485Analogue I/OEthernetUSB | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API, OGC API Connected Systems, OMA LwM2M | 12 V DC, PoE |
| 04 | Micro node (Nano)Single-board or module-class node for sensor sites, gateways and low-power deployments. | EthernetUSBAnalogue I/ORS-485CAN | MQTT 5, OMA LwM2M, CoAP | PoE, 12 V DC, USB PD |
| 05 | Cellular modem/routerLTE or NR modem or router that uses a public carrier or private network as backhaul. | EthernetUSBRS-232 | 3GPP E-UTRA air interface, 3GPP NR air interface, OMA LwM2M | 12 V DC, PoE |
| 06 | LEO flat-panel terminalElectronically steered flat-panel user terminal for low-Earth-orbit broadband constellations. | Ethernet | — | PoE, 48 V DC, AC mains |
| 07 | Solar arrayPV modules with charge controller sized to the site’s load and climate. | RS-485 | Modbus | — |
| 08 | PoleUtility, street or dedicated pole with clamp positions. | — | — | — |
How it scales
01 Instruments Arbitrary qualified sensors and instruments whosemeasurements are ingested with calibration, units,geometry, time, custody and uncertainty. ×n 02 Node The minimum useful deployable unit: server, ruggedappliance, radio node, sensor gateway, satelliteterminal, AI, scientific, vehicle or virtual node. Node Node agent 03 Site The minimum independently operable localgovernance and failure domain: one or more nodesplus local network, identity, policy, evidence,storage, products and operator surfaces.SITE
Node Node Node ×n 04 Cluster An optional scale or specialisation domain forscheduling, shared storage, accelerators or datalocality.CLUSTER
×n 05 Fleet Coordinates plans, acknowledgements,convergence evidence, update campaigns andcorrection propagation across nodes and sites.FLEET
Fleet controller ×n 06 Federation An exchange of products, capabilities, events orwork across approved, independently administeredtrust domains, using explicit trust, policy,data-locality, version and correction contracts.TRUST DOMAIN
TRUST DOMAIN
TRUST DOMAIN
×n Verifier Applications Data in the field Telemetry Control Data upstream Control Data upstream Control Exchange Evidence Events Exchange- Data in the field
- MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B; connectors for LoRaWAN, OPC UA and instrument buses.
- Telemetry
- OpenTelemetry OTLP.
- Control
- TLS 1.3 with mutual authentication; protobuf messages over gRPC or HTTP/2.
- Data upstream
- At-least-once publication with repeat-safe keys over the control channel or NATS JetStream; QUIC MAY be used on lossy links.
- Evidence
- DSSE-signed in-toto statements; SLSA provenance; SCITT transparency receipts.
- Events
- Event envelopes mapped to CloudEvents 1.0; channels described in AsyncAPI 3.
- Exchange
- OpenAPI 3.1; the OGC API family; SensorThings; STAC; WIS 2.0.
05From order to operation
Every step, from the first call to a running site.
The same crew and the same record carry the work from scope to maintenance.
- 01 Order
Scope the network and its duties
The scope reads the existing stations, the facilities at home and across borders, emergency planning zones, the authority’s duties to report and exchange, and its emergency plans. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns a station plan, the reporting and exchange design and a price per station and per year. 3
- 02 Survey
Survey open ground
Crews visit each candidate site for open, level ground away from buildings and trees, representative surroundings, power, backhaul and public access. Background is measured on site, and the survey is recorded with photographs and coordinates. Findings shape the kit for each site before anything is built. 2
- 03 Permits
Land and public information
Land agreements are signed with owners, mostly public bodies, and planning approval is sought where needed. The authority prepares public information about what the stations measure, because visible probes raise questions that published data can answer. No crew goes to site before its approvals are in place.
- 04 Build
Build and calibrate
Probes are calibrated in a laboratory traceable to national standards before they ship; stations are assembled with rain gauges, weather sensors, nodes and backhaul, enrolled with their identities and run together for days before they leave the shop. Nothing ships until the whole kit has passed its tests together. 1
- 05 Install
Install at standard height
Crews set the probe at the standard height over open ground, mount the rain gauge and weather sensors, install the cabinet, power and backhaul, and photograph every part. The station position and surroundings are recorded with the station. Crews follow the site safety plan throughout the work.
- 06 Commission
Commission and learn the background
Each node proves its identity, readings are checked with a travelling reference source and instrument, reports reach the authority and the exchange, and the station records weeks of background with rainfall before its alarm thresholds are set. Acceptance is recorded with the owner before handover. 1
- 07 Operate
Watch the country continuously
The authority sees every station’s dose rate, its background and rainfall, data completeness and alarms. Rises explained by rain are labelled, unexplained rises alert duty officers at once, and neighbours see the same data through the exchange. Every alert and action is kept on the record. 4
- 08 Maintain
Recalibrate and exercise
Probes are recalibrated on the agreed plan, stations are checked on visits, software updates roll out in rings, and the network takes part in national and international emergency exercises. Every change and exercise is kept with the station record. Maintenance history stays with each site for its whole life. 3
06Data products and integration
What it delivers, to whom, and into which systems.
Data products
- Live national dose-rate mapRadiation protection authority
- Unexplained rise alertsDuty officers and emergency services
- Published hourly valuesThe public and media
- Data exchanged with neighboursNeighbouring authorities and international platforms
Integration
- Authority systemsDose rates and alarms arrive in the authority’s own emergency systems.
- International exchangeValues are sent to regional and international platforms in the agreed formats.
- Public portalHourly values are published with an explanation of background and rain.
Exchanged through OGC SensorThings API, MQTT, IRIX.
07Questions buyers ask
Before you scope it.
Can it tell rain from a release?
Rainfall at each station explains most natural rises, and those are labelled.
Will it work in an emergency?
Stations have days of battery and a satellite path near facilities.
Can our existing probes join?
Yes, through their own interfaces if they meet the environmental standard.
Is the data public?
Publishing follows the authority’s own policy; the network supports it.
08Resources
The sources behind this page.
Public standards, regulations and guidance, cited where they apply. Each applies only where its jurisdiction or scope does.
- 1IEC 61017: Radiation protection instrumentation, equipment to measure photon radiation for environmental monitoringInternational Electrotechnical Commission
- 2IAEA Safety Standards RS-G-1.8: Environmental and Source Monitoring for Purposes of Radiation ProtectionInternational Atomic Energy Agency
- 3IAEA GSR Part 7: Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological EmergencyInternational Atomic Energy Agency · 2015
- 4Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, Articles 35 and 36European Union
09Related
Use cases and solutions.
SolutionEnvironmental exposure monitoring for health programmes
Heat, air and water exposure measurements around facilities and communities; no diagnosis or treatment.Solutions for government →SolutionNational observing network programmes
Build-operate-transfer of national observing infrastructure as digital public infrastructure, with transfer of skills and records.Solutions for government →SolutionEnvironmental and permit monitoring
Emissions, water quality, noise and dust monitoring for permit conditions, with traceable calibration and evidence bundles.Solutions for government →10Government: specialized fields
Other fields of this industry.
Specialized fieldNational weather and hydrology networks
Automatic weather stations, rain gauges and river gauges run as one national network, sited, calibrated and reported to WMO rules so every ministry and neighbour can use the data.The full field →Specialized fieldUpper-air soundings
Radiosonde stations that launch soundings on schedule, with ground receivers, gas handling and data checks run as part of the national observing programme.The full field →Specialized fieldGeodetic reference and national timing
Continuously operating GNSS reference stations and time references that hold a country’s coordinates and clocks to the global frames every map, survey and network depends on.The full field →Specialized fieldSpace weather monitoring
Magnetometers and ionospheric receivers that measure geomagnetic storms and their effects on power grids, satellite navigation and radio, feeding national space weather services.The full field →Bring us the site.
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