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Ionising radiation

Environmental Radioactivity - Medicine - Occupational Radiation Protection - Nuclear Hazards Defence

Ionisierende Strahlung

The Integrated Measuring and Information System (IMIS)

The task of IMIS is to continuously monitor the environment and thus be able to detect small changes in environmental radioactivity in a fast and reliable manner, as well as to recognize long-ranging trends. All results are merged, evaluated, refined and presented in well-arranged documents.

Organisational structure

Integrated Measuring and Information System (IMIS)

Measuring networks that operate continuously are equipped for monitoring radioactivity on the ground, in the atmosphere, in the federal waterways and in the North and Baltic Seas. Moreover during routine operation, more than 10.000 individual measurements are performed each year all over Germany, in air, water, soil, food and animal feed. More than 60 German Federal and State laboratories participate in this routine measuring program.

Deutschlandkarte mit Ausbreitung radioaktiver Wolke

Emergency measuring strategies

To characterise the current radiological situation, comprehensive measurements according to the intensive measurement programme are instantly performed in emergency situations. The most important tools during the passing of a radioactive cloud are the automatic monitoring networks of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (used to assess the external radiation exposure (ambient dose rate)) and German Weather Service (DWD; used to determine the nuclide-specific radionuclide concentration in the air).

Map of Germany with ODL measuring points

Ambient gamma dose rate

The BfS, being one of the key measuring institutions, operates a national monitoring network on the basis of the Radiation Protection Act (StrSchG) for the large-scale detection of external radiation exposure by continuously measuring the ambient gamma dose rate (ODL).

Funktionsweise der Lagedarstellung

Documentation

All measuring and prognosis results are collected in the Central Federal Agency for the Surveillance of radioactivity in Neuherberg. There, the results are evaluated with the help of the co-ordinating offices, presented and commented in graphics and tables. The Integrated Measuring and Information System (IMIS) connects approximately 70 institutions (Laender ministries and authorities, measuring institutions et cetera), respectively about 200 clients, with each other.

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