Observatory’s New Radiological Survey Vehicle Put into Operation

30 December 2022

The Hong Kong Observatory has two radiological survey vehicles equipped with various portable and tailor-made radiation monitoring instruments for conducting radiological surveys and collecting environmental samples. A new radiological survey vehicle has just been put into operation in December this year, replacing the old one serving for over 10 years to carry out the tasks of environmental radiation monitoring.

The radiation monitoring capability of the new survey vehicle has been enhanced, highlights being the new Sodium-iodide Gamma Spectrometer installed on the roof of the vehicle for measurement of ambient gamma energy spectrums. Each gamma-emitting radionuclide, no matter the source is natural or artificial, will show unique energy peak(s) in the gamma energy spectrum. Hence we can “see” which gamma-emitting radionuclides are present enroute through the Sodium-iodide Gamma Spectrometer.

Like the old survey vehicle, the new one is also equipped with meteorological instruments to measure weather data like temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. When the vehicle conducts surveys at different locations in Hong Kong, the detected ambient radiation and meteorological data are transmitted to the Observatory Headquarters in real time for analysis in support of the Observatory’s emergency response work.

Figure 1 The new radiological survey vehicle was put into operation in December 2022.

Figure 2 Energy peak of the natural gamma-emitting radionuclide, Potassium-40, is clearly discernible on the gamma energy spectrum output by the Sodium-iodide Gamma Spectrometer.