The Atomic Energy Council yesterday said it had developed a smartphone app that allows users to monitor the latest environmental radiation levels and information on the nation’s nuclear power plants.
The app, called Nuclear Safety Live Messenger, is free for people to download for both Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.
Comprehensive Planning Department section chief Peng Chih-wei (彭志煒) said that following the crisis at Japan’s Fukushia Dai-ichi nuclear power plant that resulted from a powerful earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year, people in Taiwan had become concerned about environmental radiation and the safety of the nation’s nuclear power plants.
Photo: CNA
Utilizing GPS enabled smartphones, the new app can instantaneously provide the user with data collected from the nearest environmental radiation monitoring station, Peng said, adding that there are currently 34 monitoring stations nationwide.
Peng said the normal environmental radiation level should be below 0.2 microsievert per hour, but if the radiation level increases to more than 20 microsievert per hour, the council would initiate an emergency detection protocol.
In addition, the app also provides information about the nation’s four nuclear power plants (three operational and one under construction), nuclear waste and radiation-related topics, and the latest news from the council, Peng said, adding that queries about radiation-contaminated buildings can be performed by typing in the address.
Peng said users can also use the app to find the nearest evacuation shelter if a nuclear accident occurs and an evacuation is necessary.
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