CTBT: Science and Technology Conference 2025 - SnT2025

Extended Radionuclide Background Campaign in Pabrade, Lithuania

P2.3-712

10 Sept 2025, 10:00

1h

Zeremoniensaal

Board: 45

E-poster T2.3 Atmospheric and Subsurface Radionuclide Background and Dispersion P2.3 Atmospheric and Subsurface Radionuclide Background and Dispersion

Speakers

Lance Lidey (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL))Mr Michael Mayer (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL))

Description

Since March 2021, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in cooperation with Radiation Protection Center in Lithuania, has been supporting a radionuclide background measurement campaign in Pabrade, Lithuania. This measurement campaign aims to provide a better understanding of background detections in a previously unobserved region. Lithuania is a complex region for measuring background radioactivity. Multiple known sources affect the region, including multiple medical isotope production facilities in Northern Europe and two recently constructed nuclear power reactors in Astravets, Belarus. The nearest International Monitoring System station is in Stockholm, Sweden, approximately 670 km away. PNNL has installed several environmental radiation detectors onsite, including the Transportable Xenon Laboratory (TXL). We present the results of the measurement campaign and discuss detection events where multiple radioxenon isotopes were observed in the region.