Reformatting data from common emergency radiation measurement systems into International Radiological Information Exchange (IRIX) for harmonization

Abstract

From the experience during radiation monitoring and data analysis of Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident it was learned that the large amount of data gathered during the nuclear emergency by multi-national organizations needs to be harmonized to speak in “one voice” regarding the evolving radiological status of the environment around the accident location. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) has introduced the International Radiological Information Exchange (IRIX) [1], a technical standard developed by the IAEA, in cooperation with experts from Member States and the European Commission (EC), meant to enable the development of interoperable systems and solutions for exchanging emergency information and data between organisations at both national and international levels during a nuclear or radiological emergency. IRIX works as the data format for the International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS) [2], a client server-based web application that provides users a platform to report and visualize large quantities of radiological monitoring data during nuclear and radiological emergencies. IRMIS routinely receives the radiation dose rate data from fixed monitoring stations from close to 40 Member States. The information reported and the tools provided within IRMIS may be used in the decisionmaking process related to the implementation of public protective actions and other response actions during a nuclear or radiological emergency. The IRIX standard comprises two parts: a standard data format and a standard web service interface definition. Among the first applications of the IRIX standards are the interconnection and enabling of automated information exchange between the IAEA’s Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE) and the European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange system (WebECURIE) [3], and the interchange of environmental radiation monitoring data in the IAEA’s IRMIS. The IAEA-IEC has worked on several emergency radiation monitoring equipment like backpacks, vehicle mounted large sensitivity gamma radiation detectors and has converted the data reports produced by these detection systems into IRIX format so that they could be assimilated in to the IRMIS. The current project has developed interactive decision support not only in the area of public protection but also in optimizing resource allocation during radiological emergencies. One of the main challenges in coordinating a large scale nuclear emergency response is identifying progress of task allocation, sample collection and analysis for a smooth flow of data in response operations. Geographic record of this progress, in the form of a map, can assist in the optimization of resource allocation, and so ensure that demand for sample collector and laboratory services is matching the supply. The adoption of the IRIX format to package radiation monitoring data in a machine readable extensible mark-up language (XML) has reduced the time and human effort (and associated errors) drastically. The language can be universally applied to all types of radiation monitoring and environmental sampling systems. Coupled with the IRMIS system of data management, visualization and analysis tools, IRIX can help analysis of resource gaps (how to distribute monitoring resources most efficiently and effectively) and can become a very strong deployment tool for the Member States. Standardized emergency monitoring data reports from different operational monitoring equipment will go a long way in harmonizing radiation monitoring data acquisition and analysis at national levels to have a sustainable global impact. The ideal system, anticipated to support up to millions of entries of sample and monitoring data, optimizes the data query system and utilizes the least core information to quickly answer questions needed in decision making during emergencies. Incorporating the IRIX format can be an effective part of such new systems.