Automatic Radiation Environment Monitoring Station in Mianyang, Sichuan Put into Trial Operation, with Core Equipment and Systems Achieving Domestic Localization

Recently, the automatic radiation environment monitoring station located within the Nuclear Medical Health Industrial Park of the China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City was officially put into trial operation. As the first automatic radiation environment monitoring station in Sichuan Province to fully achieve domestic localization of core equipment and systems, it will provide radiation environment safety assurance for the development of the nuclear medical industry in the park through 24-hour uninterrupted automatic monitoring capabilities.

Automatic Radiation Environment Monitoring Station

At the station, operational data from equipment such as environmental γ dose rate monitors are updated in real time on monitoring screens. Compared with the previous approach that relied on manual on-site sampling and batch laboratory analysis, the automatic station enables continuous monitoring, reducing the time required to produce monitoring results from several days to the same day, thereby improving the timeliness of radiation environment early warning.

It is understood that the station integrates core equipment including a high-purity germanium γ spectrometer and an ultra-high-flow aerosol sampler, enabling automatic completion of collection, sample preparation, measurement, and data analysis for dozens of γ nuclides in the air, with no manual intervention required throughout the entire process. It also supports round-the-clock continuous sampling for capturing trace radioactive substances in the air. Thanks to the automated system, the station requires minimal routine maintenance, with staff only needing to replace the sample cartridge once a month.

After monitoring data are aggregated by the central control system at the station, they will be uploaded to the provincial monitoring platform without delay. In the event of abnormal data, the system can automatically issue an early warning, buying time for subsequent emergency response.

Regarding site selection, the Provincial Radiation Environment Management and Monitoring Center Station and the Mianyang Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau conducted multiple rounds of field surveys and comparative evaluations based on principles of representativeness and stability in response to industrial needs, ultimately locating the station within a wastewater treatment plant downwind of the park's prevailing wind direction to enhance the targeting and effectiveness of monitoring airborne radioactive substances from the park.

The commissioning of this automatic station marks new progress in Sichuan Province's radiation environment automatic monitoring capabilities and the self-reliance of equipment. A relevant official from the Youxian District Ecology and Environment Bureau stated that in the next step, they will cooperate with provincial and municipal radiation monitoring stations in routine station management and the application of monitoring results, strengthen normalized supervision through the intelligent platform, and serve the safe development of the nuclear technology industry.