Continuous regulatory control programme

In Finland, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority is responsible for nationwide environmental radiation control. The regulatory responsibility is based on the Decree on the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority and the Radiation Decree.

In addition, the European Union Member States are obliged under the Euratom Treaty to continuously monitor the levels of radioactivity in the air, water and soil. Together with STUK, the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Finnish Defence Forces carry out radioactivity surveillance at their own observation stations.

Environmental Radiation Surveillance and Emergency Preparedness of STUK is accredited as Testing Laboratory T167 (EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005) by the Finnish Accreditation Service (FINAS) for Environmental Radiation Surveillance and Emergency Preparedness. Nearly all analyses conducted by STUK relating to environmental radiation surveillance are carried out in compliance with the accreditation criteria.

From the links in the table to the measurement results.

Target of monitoring	Measurement and sampling sites	Radioactive material or quantity measured	Sampling frequency	Responsible organization
External radiation	Automatic monitoring network, 255 monitoring stations	Dose rate (µSv/h)	Continuous measurement	STUK
Radioactive materials in outdoor air	Helsinki, Kotka, Imatra, Kuopio, Rovaniemi, Kajaani, Sodankylä, Ivalo	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation (µBq/m³)	1/day - 1/week	STUK, Finnish Meteorological Institute
Total beta activity in outdoor air	Nine sampling localities	Total beta activity (µBq/m³)	1/day or 1/week	Finnish Meteorological Institute
Deposition	Helsinki, Kotka, Imatra, Kuopio, Rovaniemi, Kajaani, Sodankylä, Ivalo	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation Sr-90 (Bq/m²)	Gamma, 4/ year, Sr-90, 1/ year	STUK
Surface water	Kymijoki, Oulujoki, Kemijoki, Kokemäenjoki	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation (Bq/m³)	1/ year	STUK
Drinking water	Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu, Rovaniemi	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation, H-3, Sr-90 (Bq/l)	2/ year	STUK
Milk	Riihimäki, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Seinäjoki, Oulu (dairies)	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation, Sr-90 (Bq/l)	Gamma, 12/ year, Sr-90, 4/ year	STUK
Foodstuffs	Helsinki, Tampere, Rovaniemi	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation, Sr-90 (Bq/kg)	2/year	STUK
Radioactivity in the human body	Helsinki, Tampere, Rovaniemi	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation (Bq)	1/year	STUK
Wastewater sludge	Helsinki	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation (Bq/kg)	4/year	STUK
Radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea	Baltic Sea	Radioactive materials emitting gamma radiation, Sr-90, Pu-239,240 (Bq/m³ or Bq/kg)		STUK
Indoor radon Workplace radon concentrations Radon in Finland	All of Finland	Rn-222 (Bq/m³)	Continuous	STUK