Canadian Environmental Radiation Dose Measurements from 2016

Health Canada's Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network provides background radiation dose results from monitoring and transit dosimeters. The data, starting in 2016, reports ambient dose equivalent in millisieverts (mSv) and dose rate in mSv/day. It captures natural radiation influenced by location, soil characteristics, and seasonal changes.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in ambient dose equivalent (mSv) from monitoring dosimeters over time to study seasonal fluctuations in natural radiation.
• Compare dose rate (mSv/day) values between monitoring and transit dosimeters to isolate environmental exposure from transport artifacts.
• Map approximate sampling locations to correlate measured dose rates with geographic and soil characteristics.
• Model external dose attribution by examining data from stations across different locations to distinguish terrestrial and cosmic radiation sources.

Strengths

• Data collection started in 2016, providing a multi-year time series for trend analysis.
• Includes results from both long-term monitoring dosimeters and short-term transit dosimeters, allowing for comparative analysis.
• Measurements are standardized, reporting ambient dose equivalent and dose rate in consistent units of millisieverts (mSv) and mSv/day.

Limitations

• Sample data and specific row/column counts are unavailable, making initial assessment of data volume and structure difficult.
• The geographic coverage is limited to Canadian monitoring stations, which may not be representative of global radiation levels.
• Data relies on approximate sampling locations, which may limit precise geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

Health Canada's Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN), published by Natural Resources Canada.

Collection Method

Collected via deployed monitoring dosimeters and accompanying transit dosimeters shipped quarterly to sampling stations.

Time Range

Starting in 2016, with ongoing updates.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026, indicating recent maintenance.

Geography

Canada, with monitoring stations across the country.