Health Canada routinely collects environmental samples for radioactivity analysis. The backbone of its monitoring comes from three separate networks: The Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN), the Fixed Point Surveillance Network (FPS), and a Canadian contribution to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTo). This dataset provides the approximate sampling location of the monitoring stations for each network. CRMN is a national network that routinely collects air particulate, precipitation, external gamma dose, drinking water, atmospheric water vapour, and milk samples for radioactivity analysis. The CRMN has been operating since 1959, and is used to establish long-term trends in naturally occurring environmental radioactivity, nuclear weapons fallout, as well as radioactivity generated by other human activities including nuclear power generation and medical isotope production. Full datasets for the Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network are available on the Open Government Portal. The Fixed Point Surveillance System (FPS) is an integrated network of radiation detectors providing terrestrial gamma radiation measurements in real time. The detectors are located in every province and territory of Canada with larger numbers in the vicinity of major Canadian nuclear facilities and ports where nuclear powered vessels sometimes harbour. Almost real time measurements are available on the EURDEP (EUropean Radiological Data Exchange Platform) website and monthly summaries are provided on the Health Canada website. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a universal arms control treaty that bans all States from conducting nuclear explosions in any environment (atmosphere, underground, underwater). Canada is a signatory to the United Nations CTBT. The Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada is responsible for four certified radionuclide monitoring stations and a certified radionuclide laboratory. Additional information on the CTBT is available on the CTBTo website. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for tritium content in atmospheric water vapor sampled from monitoring stations in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). The results provided are for tritium activity concentration, expressed in units of becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). Atmospheric water is sampled monthly for determination of tritium content. The majority of such monitoring activity occurs in close proximity to nuclear power plants. Until 1996, Health Canada monitored the areas near Darlington, Bruce and Pickering in Ontario, Gentilly in Quebec, and Point Lepreau in New Brunswick. In 1996, Health Canada’s monitoring of the Ontario stations was terminated to avoid redundancy, since a similar initiative was underway through the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Currently, the CRMN monitors six sites in the vicinity of Point Lepreau, four sites in the vicinity of Gentilly, and a single site in the Greater Toronto Area. The average tritium concentration for the CRMN stations is 0.22 Bq/m3 for the time period from 2004 to 2013. This is consistent with results reported for other monitoring stations in close proximity to Canadian nuclear power stations, and the levels are considered to be safe from a health perspective. Note that the tritium values are measured using liquid scintillator measurements. This requires removing the background contribution from the measurement. The uncertainty associated with each measurement, can lead to reported values of less than zero. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

Terrestrial gamma dose rates, reported as ambient dose equivalent in the unit nSv/hr, are presented for the past ninety days to present. Data is measured in real-time, typically from the spectroscopic dosimeters of the Fixed Point Surveillance (FPS) Network. Dosimeter stations of this network are located in population centres and other strategic locations across Canada. Real-time data provides insight into typical levels and fluctuations of radioactivity in the Canadian environment and may provide early detection of sources of radioactivity other than environmental background. As a reference, the Nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills can be found in the Open Maps catalogue and added to the Real-time Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring map using the "+" (Add layer) button of the viewer’s “Layers” panel. The ESRI REST or WMS links found in the Nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills metadata record is what’s needed to proceed. These links can be found here: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/6478153c-829f-4649-bd52-41f63b41021f. The Nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills dataset provided by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission corresponds to nuclear licensees that operate across Canada. This includes uranium mines and mills, uranium processing facilities, nuclear power plants, research reactors, particle accelerators, and nuclear substances processing facilities. All of these facilities are licensed by the CNSC and are subject to strict regulatory oversight to ensure the safety of the public and the environment.

This dataset provides results obtained by Health Canada’s Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for 90Sr activity in milk samples originating from various locations across Canada. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). From 1984 to 1993, data was collected from 20 locations. After 1993, routine milk analysis for radio-strontium activity was discontinued for all monitoring stations, except the Ottawa location. The results provided here are 90Sr activity concentrations in units of becquerels per litre (Bq/L). Milk is an important matrix for environmental radioactivity assessment since many radionuclides of health concern exhibit efficient soil to milk uptake pathways. As such, the surveillance of milk provides a very good indication as to the severity of environmental impact following a nuclear event. Strontium-90 (90Sr) is a radionuclide of particular concern because it has a long radiological and biological half-life coupled with a high affinity for incorporation into human bone and teeth. Nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents have released such long-lived radionuclides into the atmosphere, which in turn have entered the biological life cycle. Nevertheless, a steady decline in the activity concentration of 90Sr in milk can be seen since most of the nuclear weapon testing was halted in the 1960s. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for the gross alpha and beta activity concentrations in drinking water, given in units of becquerels per liter (Bq/L). More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). Although water quality is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, the CRMN, in collaboration with the city of Ottawa, has been conducting a targeted program to monitor the radiological content of drinking water from two water treatment plants in Ottawa, ON. The Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality recommend screening levels of 0.5 Bq/L and 1.0 Bq/L for gross alpha and gross beta activity, respectively. The screening levels are set to reflect the most restrictive Maximum Acceptable Concentrations (MACs) for specific radionuclides in drinking water. If the screening levels are not exceeded, compliance with the guidelines can be inferred. The screening levels set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality are calculated based on annual averages of radionuclides in drinking water. Short-term exposure to levels above those recommended by these guidelines does not indicate a health risk. The measured gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations presented here are well below the screening levels set by the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, with only one exception to date. This occurred February 28, 2011, and was attributable to the flushing of lead pipes at the water treatment plant. It resulted in a spike of naturally occurring lead radionuclides that was dealt with immediately by the City of Ottawa. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for the tritium activity concentration in drinking water originating from the water treatment plants in Ottawa, ON. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). The results provided are the tritium activity concentration in units of becquerels per litre (Bq/L). Although ensuring water quality is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, the CRMN, in collaboration with the city of Ottawa, has been conducting a targeted program to monitor the radiological content of drinking water from two water treatment plants in Ottawa, ON. The Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality recommend a Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) for tritium in drinking water of 7000 Bq/L. The measured activity concentrations of tritium in drinking water are well below this guideline value. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

This dataset provides the background radiation dose results from Health Canada’s Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) monitoring sites. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). This background radiation data contains both “monitoring” and “transit” dosimeters starting in 2016. The historical background radiation dose data can be found on the Open Data portal. A transit dosimeter is sent along with the monitoring dosimeter to determine if there is a significant dose recorded by the dosimeter while it is in transit to the sampling station. The transit dosimeter is shipped out with a station monitor, and shipped back with the station monitor from the previous quarter. The monitoring dosimeters are deployed over a longer time (around three months) than the transit dosimeters (around 3 weeks). This difference largely explains the lower recorded dose values for the transit dosimeter. The results provided for the monitoring and transit dosimeters are expressed as ambient dose equivalent to a cesium source, in units of millisieverts (mSv). The measured dose rate is reported in mSv/day. The external dose can be attributed almost exclusively to natural radiation (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) with fluctuations based on several factors including location, soil characteristics, and seasonal changes. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for airborne radioactivity content at monitoring stations across Canada. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). The results provided are activity concentration, uncertainty and the minimum detectable concentration for the naturally occurring radionuclides, beryllium-7 (7Be) and lead-210 (210Pb), and the anthropogenic (originating from human activity) radionuclides, cesium-134 (134Cs), cesium-137 (137Cs), and iodine-131 (131I). The data comes from the analysis of particulates accumulated in filter media, drawn by high-volume air samplers fixed in the field. Such data is typically dominated by natural radionuclides, such as 7Be and 210Pb. 7Be is a natural cosmogenic radionuclide that is produced in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays bombard oxygen and nitrogen. 210Pb is also a natural radioisotope that results from the decay of uranium (238U) to radium (226Ra). 238U comes from the soil and eventually decays to 210Pb. Radon-222, which is a natural radioactive gas, is also a part of this decay chain. Radon moves through the soil and becomes diluted in the atmosphere. If a home is built on soil or rocks that contain uranium, radon can seep into homes and may accumulate to high levels. More information about the Health Canada radon program can be found on the Health Canada website. For all our stations, the airborne radioactivity data shows a small increase in the activity concentration of 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I measured between March and May of 2011, attributable to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It is important to note that, even at their respective peaks, the measured activity concentrations of 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I represent only a small fraction of typical background exposure from natural sources of radiation. Occasionally, other small increases in activity concentration of anthropogenic radionuclides are observed. Spikes in 137Cs activity are often associated with forest fires, which can lead to the re-suspension of 137Cs already present in the environment, most likely from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the 1960’s. Detection of small amounts of 131I is commonly associated with its medical use by hospitals. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.