The Airborne Radionuclide Concentrations (ARC) Dataset is a general dataset of airborne radionuclide concentrations analyzed at the Radiation Protection Bureau (RPB). The RPB is responsible for delivering Health Canada’s program in the area of ionizing radiation protection. This dataset includes radionuclide concentrations at locations in RPB’s Canadian air monitoring networks including its Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) stations and the Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN). The dataset may also include additional airborne radionuclide concentration data from other networks, fieldwork and any additional data collected during emergencies.
The dataset shows concentrations of airborne radionuclides that were targeted for analysis and detected, for example, Beryllium-7 (7Be), Lead-210 (210Pb), Cesium-134 (134Cs), Cesium-137 (137Cs), Iodine-131 (131I), Xenon-133 (133Xe), and Xenon-135 (135Xe), among others. The data is presented in xml file format, selected to conform to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) International Radiological Information Exchange (IRIX) Format. The IRIX format is used to facilitate the exchange of web-based emergency data and information to help organizations respond to radiological incidents and emergencies. The dataset will be updated annually and occasionally more frequently. For example, the data will be revised from time to time to include historic data.