Monitoring

The Dutch monitoring programme MWTL, focuses on trends in the chemical composition of water and sediments. Part of the programme is the monitoring of radio nuclides in water and sediments.

Sampling vs in situ measurements

Traditionally, monitoring of chemicals is conducted by sediment sampling. The MWTL asked Medusa to demonstrate the potential of in situ measuring the composition of natural and man-made radionuclides in seafloor sediments. This would reduce the labor intensive sampling and give more detailed information about the spatial distribution.

Results

Several survey lines have been measured with the Medusa system. These measurements show how the concentration of anthropogenic radio nuclides is highest near the sludge disposal sites and decreases going north. In the future the sampling of the radio nuclides could be done faster using this in situ method.