Summary and recommendations from the workshop 'Integrating measurements and atmospheric-dispersion modelling to enhance the UK response to radiological atmospheric releases'.

Effective preparedness and response to an atmospheric release following a radiological incident relies on information concerning the source, transport and eventual removal of the contaminant. A notable improvement to emergency preparedness and response in the UK to airborne releases of radiological contaminants can be achieved through the integration of information sources, in particular environmental radiological measurements and atmospheric-dispersion modelling. A one-day workshop was organised by the UK Met Office and the University of Bristol, comprising private nuclear facility operators, public bodies, academia and others, on 6 February 2020 in Bristol, UK.

Source estimation of an unexpected release of Ruthenium-106 in 2017 using an inverse modelling approach.

For the first time since the Chernobyl accident, detectable concentrations of ruthenium-106 were measured across Europe in September and October 2017. The source of this radioactive cloud remains unconfirmed. In this paper we present a forensic inverse modelling study to simultaneously estimate the source location, timing and magnitude of the unexpected ruthenium-106 release using 473 measurements of atmospheric concentration.

An early warning system to predict and mitigate wheat rust diseases in Ethiopia.

Wheat rust diseases pose one of the greatest threats to global food security, including subsistence farmers in Ethiopia. The fungal spores transmitting wheat rust are dispersed by wind and can remain infectious after dispersal over long distances. The emergence of new strains of wheat rust has exacerbated the risks of severe crop loss.