Detection of anthropogenic radionuclides by the CA002 monitoring station for the comprehensive test ban treaty.

A worldwide monitoring system for radioactive aerosols is being implemented for verification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. These 80 stations will detect airborne radioactivity not only from nuclear explosions but also from other anthropogenic and natural sources. A prototype unit has been in operation since April 1996 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is a very sensitive system and reports clear signals for natural radioactivity, including cosmogenic 7Be, and the decay products from soil exhalation of 220Rn (thoron). In addition, there have been frequent detections of anthropogenic nuclides, probably coming from three distinct facilities-a medical isotope production center, a major university hospital, and a particle accelerator laboratory--all between 1 and 2 km away from the monitoring station. This experience is discussed to sensitize health physicists to the potential uses of this publicly available information.