A citizen science approach for dose rate mapping in a contaminated territory: dose rate results, analysis of participants’ comments and perstectives
Résumé
In the framework of the TERRITORIES European project, a map of the ambient dose rate of a village, at the edge of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, was made using the OpenRadiation system (www.openradiation.org) by schoolchildren aged 14-17. During a first meeting with the children the functioning of the system was explained and children stared to measure the next day. No specific instructions were given, excepted to avoid taking risks and to describe as possible the way the measurements were made. Children appropriate very rapidly the measurement system since 80 measurements appeared in four days on the map of the web site, and 645 measurements were made in one month.
The measured dose rates were not that much different in the Komaryn village as compared to other places in the world, and especially in France. This showed that the radiological situation in the village is safe. However, some hot spots were identified. Moreover, since all measurements were tagged with GPS positioning, id of the participant and tags provided by the system, it was possible to analyze the way each participant organized the measurements. Results clearly demonstrate gender differences in the way the measurements were organized. Thereafter, on the basis of a questionnaire, it was possible to define more precisely their expectations and feeling with the use of the OpenRadiation system. This showed that they wish to share their measurements and to discuss them with other users of the system. Moreover, they indicate that this experiment allowed us to regain control on their environment. This study demonstrate that even 30 years after the Chernobyl accident, the population already have concerns about the radiological quality of their environment, which in turn asks for the methods to be used to maintain the awareness in a post-accidental situation on the long term.