Radiation Monitoring and Warning System Network (RADİSA)
Emergency and Environmental Monitoring
The Radiation Monitoring and Warning System Network (RADİSA) is operated by the NDK pursuant to the decree "To carry out or ensure the execution of the national radiation monitoring activity", which is listed among the duties and authorizations of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority in Article 5 of the Presidential Decree numbered 95 "Presidential Decree on the Organization and Duties of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority" published in the Official Gazette dated 08/03/2022 and numbered 31772. Technical support in this context is provided by the Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency.
After the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, intensive studies have been started in many countries to establish monitoring stations in appropriate places for early detection of radiological hazards that may arise from nuclear reactors. Although there are measurement systems around the nuclear power plants, since these measurements are taken under the responsibility of the reactor operator and the reactor operator transfers this information to the regulatory institution of the country, there are sometimes problems when it is evaluated in terms of country policies and safety philosophies. For this reason, it is important for countries to establish monitoring stations offside the facilities and share the information received with other countries.
In line with the principles of our country to be prepared in advance for potential nuclear hazards, studies for the establishment of radiation monitoring systems have been started since 1986. The system that will give a warning in case of radioactive release at a level that may affect our country from inside and outside of our borders; It is based on the detection of the increase in the gamma radiation level in the air.
In this context, considering the hazard assessments, the approach of establishing radiation monitoring stations, especially in our border regions, has been adopted. Portable devices using Geiger-Müller detectors were placed at the stations to measure ambient gamma radiation dose rate. The system was carried out as a dynamic project, and new features were added to the system over time. In the system, there are a total of 239 RADİSA stations operating simultaneously, including 81 in the city center, 111 district centres, 12 thermal power plants, 4 in nuclear/radiation facilities, 3 border posts and 28 around the AKKUYU Nuclear Power Plant.
As seen on the map, the stations are frequently located in the Thrace Region of Türkiye for the nuclear power plants in Bulgaria and Romania and in the Eastern Anatolia Region, which is of great importance in terms of taking emergency measures. In addition, the number of RADİSA stations in Mersin and Sinop provinces for nuclear power plants to be established in our country is higher than in other provinces.
While operating RADİSA, the results of the ambient radiation dose rate measurements taken regularly are followed, evaluated, updated and made available to the public via the internet, the detection and elimination of malfunctions in the system, and the commissioning of new stations are carried out. In addition, the data received from RADİSA is sent to the European Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP), which is prepared for the collection of radiological information among European countries, and the data transferred to EURDEP by European countries are regularly monitored. This makes it possible to predict a possible nuclear fallout.
RADİSA Features:
The system is produced using the experience and technical capabilities of our country in radiation measurement systematics, device production, computerized control, and central automation. The system works 24 hours a day without interruption..
- In case of warning;
o The control center is automatically alerted by the data received from the station.
o The control center software informs the personnel in charge with a visual warning by specifying the name of the station.
- It is possible to reach the desired stations from the control center at any time.
- All parameters of the stations are controlled from the control center.
With automatic task program definitions in the control center software, the specific stations or group of stations can be called automatically at the desired time interval or at the specified time, and the intented settings can be made or the desired data can be obtained.
