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Month: November 2012

Sharing Radiation Data on Maps with New Safecast API

Published November 8, 2012 by Dan

Many people ask me about how to share radiation data. Things just got easier thanks to Safecast. It’s created by their talented team of techie volunteers.

Here are instructions on how to submit radiation data using their new API:

Everything you need is at http://api.safecast.org

Take a moment and look through the links there.

There is a web form that allows you to upload a bGeigie log file or submit a single measurement. A bGeigie, or bento-sized geiger counter with data logger created by Safecast, allows data to be collected with gps coordinates. These can be obtained from Safecast if you are in Japan. They donate them to communities and individuals who will use them to add data to the Safecast maps. A kit version of the small version of the bGeigie will be available in coming weeks from IMI-International Medcom. For single measurement submissions you will be asked your location and what type of instrument you are using.

Sean Bonner, Safecast Global Director tells us that you can also access the API documentation to see how to interface with that directly. With the API you can submit data directly, but you can also query specific parameters (dates, locations, submitter, etc) – there’s no front end UI for this yet so it only works in code, but Safecast is working on an advanced search page that will provide a UI front end to the API. You may want to run some api testing software as well, to make sure that it is working to its optimum level and running efficiently.

If you want to just pull down the full dataset it’s located here:

https://api.safecast.org/system/measurements.csv

That file updates every night so it’s very current.

 

 

 

 

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Radiex 2012 Conference: Focus on Decontamination in Japan

Published November 8, 2012 by Dan
Russian scientists were there with instrumentation they developed post-Chernobyl

 

 

 

 

 

The Radiex Conference in Tokyo, in September, was successful at bringing people together around technologies for cleaning up and monitoring radioactive contamination in Japan.   The conference was well attended.

In fashion conscious Tokyo it was interesting to see these suits for clean up workers to protect themselves. But radiation protection is an important issue now.

I attended the show, made a couple of presentations, and worked with Safecast to promote the value of the radiation maps they have been creating since the Fukushima Daiichi event.  Safecast has posted more about the conference on their website.  My company, IMI-International Mecom continues to support the good work they are doing.

   
Safecast Volunteer Kalin Kozhuharov talks with attendees at Radiex 2012

 

Some of Safecast Team at Radiex 2012 Conference.

The first conference of its type, Radiex 2012 will certainly not be the last.   It will take many years to deal with the problems created by the earthquake, tsunami, meldowns.

In some cases forests are being cut down. This is one approach to remediation. The Cesium 134 and Cesium 137 are taken up from the soil into the trees. Then the trees are burned and the waste compacted for storage as radioactive waste.

 

Radioactive materials need to be properly contained and transported. These concrete containers serve that function. There were also a lot of heavy duty plastic bags on display.
This device can be pulled behind a tractor for measuring contamination on farmland

In addition to devices for measuring soil contamination, there are also a lot of devices for measuring radioactivity in food.  The new Japanese standard requires less than 100 Bq/kg of contamination in food.

This food testing equipment was developed by a Russian company. The Russians bring years of experience to the table, having dealt with Chernobyl and other nuclear hotspots for many years.

 

 

In addition to community work crews, cleantech industry executives, government officials, we also saw a very concerned segment of the population: Mothers with babies concerned about their future.

 

This looks like a Jetson Era vaccum cleaner, but it's really a beta contamination detector designed for scanning homes and schools for contamination

 

This helicopter outfitted with sensors can scan remote areas and places too hot for humans
Helicopters with special sensors are used to monitor remote areas.

 

 

 

 

 

This machine is designed to decontaminate surfaces.
This machine is designed to decontaminate surfaces.

 

 

 

 

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