Inventory of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Environmental and Occupational Health Data
Sources and Surveillance Activities

Inventory of Data Sources

National Environmental Monitoring of Radionuclides (Health Canada)

Contacts
Sonia Johnson
Head, National Monitoring Section
Environmental Radiation Hazards Division
Radiation Protection Bureau
Safe Environments Programme
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
775 Brookfield Rd.
Ottawa, ON
K1A 1C1
Tel: (613) 954-6677
E-mail: sonia_johnson@hc-sc.gc.ca

Wendy Hunt
Technologist, National Monitoring Section
[Address same as above]
Tel: (613) 954-6663
E-mail: wendy_hunt@hc-sc.gc.ca

Organization Maintaining the Database
National Monitoring Section
Environmental Radiation Hazards Division
Safe Environments Programme
HECS Branch, Health Canada

Purpose of Database
To record and maintain data on radionuclides in environmental and food samples from across the country. This database is a health surveillance system with the aim of minimizing radiation exposure in Canadians.

Content
National data on radionuclides (ionizing radiation) in outdoor air, precipitation, drinking water, and in food. Data types: contaminant levels in media; radiological; geographic. Data elements: sample type, sampling period, station identification, tests conducted, results of tests, unique identifier. Also data on location (city, address) of field equipment. Geolocators: longitudinal / latitudinal coordinates.

Year Database Established
Not specified

Coverage Period
1991 to present

Data Updates
Daily

Data Provider
Health Canada.

Data Availability
Only staff in the Environmental Radiation Hazards Division (Health Canada) have direct access to the data. The main users of the information in the database are staff in the Division's National Monitoring Section. Security protocols restricting access to the database are in place; a user name and password are required.

Reports
Regular reports to the Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) website are produced quarterly in electronic format and made available to the public.

Additional Comments
Staff in the ERHD are in the process of setting up a Laboratory Management Information System, using an Oracle database. The process of integrating with the new system is expected to take about 2 years.

Documentation on the database is available (in paper format).