National project · Environmental monitoring

Openred

Citizen science to measure environmental gamma radiation in Spain

About the project

Openred aims to improve public knowledge of radiation, its sources, the general principles of radiation detection and radiological protection, both in emergencies and in planned and existing exposure situations

OPENRED aims to build a citizen network equipped with

sensors to measure environmental gamma radiation in

Spain. The project will also promote a culture of radiological protection through citizen science. Measurements will be sent automatically to a central server and, once validated, will be publicly available in real time.

A group of experts from the universities of Zaragoza and Cantabria, the

Polytechnic University of Catalonia and CIEMAT will advise the project

throughout. The project does not just focus on monitoring

radioactivity; it also seeks to foster greater

understanding of and public involvement in scientific issues, building

a culture of knowledge and awareness about radiological

protection in Spain.

Project objectives

Promote a public culture of radiological protection, encouraging training in the subject through communication and outreach campaigns.

Build a citizen network to measure environmental gamma radioactivity in Spain, encouraging participation and the use of low-cost detectors, together with an analysis of the educational impact.

The role of Ibercivis

One of Fundación Ibercivis’s first tasks will be to produce a feasibility report, analysing the technological infrastructure used in similar

projects and the challenges involved. At the same time, training and outreach materials will be developed on ionising radiation

and the principles of radiological protection.

Building a representative community of participants is another pillar of the project, with the aim of involving at least 500 people, together with the purchase and distribution of measuring detectors.

Participatory activities are also central to Openred. They include organising and running a multi-city hackathon, testing and validating the devices developed, designing citizen participation missions and running collective intelligence experiments to assess the project’s educational impact and its effect on public awareness.