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Ionising radiation

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

Ionisierende Strahlung

Environmental Monitoring Laboratories

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection operates highly specialised laboratories for the detection of radioactive substances in various media. Activities in the laboratories focus on the analysis of radioactive substances for supervision, control, emergency preparedness and research purposes. Duties range from analyses of industrial residues and waste materials, the monitoring of environmental radioactivity to trace analysis of radioactive substances in the atmosphere.

BfS staff member at radioecology laboratory

Radionuclide laboratories

The BfS responsibilities responsibilities in the area of radionuclide laboratories range from emission monitoring of nuclear power plants and monitoring of environmental radioactivity up to the trace analysis of radioactive substances in the atmosphere for verifying the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

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Inside the Radon Chamber

Radon Calibrating Laboratory

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) operates an accredited calibration service laboratory for quality assurance of radon and radon progeny measurements. The laboratory offers calibration, type tests and comparison tests for measurement devices. Besides, it carries out scientific investigations on the metrological background, evaluation and improvement of measuring methods. The Radon Calibration Laboratory is accredited by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS). It maintains a quality management system and is assessed regularly.

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Woman with stationary

The Coordinating Offices

The radioactive fallout through the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s required monitoring of the impact on humans and the environment by radioactivity. Radioactive substances in the environment are monitored by the federal states (Bundesländer) and by federal authorities. At the same time Coordinating Offices have been established, which are responsible for the monitoring of specific environmental media.

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Trace analysis air-borne particle collector on the roof of the BfS branch office in Freiburg

Trace analysis at the BfS

Aims and objectives of trace analysis performed at the BfS are to detect minute quantities of airborne radioactive substances, to investigate their origin, distribution and dispersion in the environment and to monitor short and long-term changes at the lowest activity levels.

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