ECCOMAGS project publishes results of gamma ray spectrometry study

Brussels, 19 Nov 2003

An EU funded project consortium has published the results of its gamma ray spectrometry comparison, which indicate that airborne gamma spectrometry compares favourably with ground based approaches.

The ECCOMAGS project, funded under the Euratom section of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), carried out comparisons between the two measurement technologies in Scotland over a 12 day period in mid-2002.

The summary of the project results states that the trials 'resulted in the collection of an unrivalled set of contemporary AGS [airborne gamma spectrometry], in-situ and ground based measurements which have facilitated for the first time systematic comparisons between the major methods for measuring activity and dose rate in the environment.'

As highlighted in the publication, the project demonstrated the speed and ease with which different AGS teams were able to record compatible data relating to a number of different environments. This illustrated not only the reliability of the AGS method, but the potential for cross-team cooperation.

The ECCOMAGS team believes that their results make the case for the validation of AGS measurement protocols relative to ground based methods, and that their research can be used as a basis for future studies on measurement methods, as well as their interaction with environmental variations.

To obtain a copy of the report, please contact:
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Tel: +44 1355 223332
Fax: +44 1355 229898
http:///www.gla.ac.uk/suerc/

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