An app launched by the IAEA today helps customs officers determine whether radiation alarms going off at border crossings are sparked by naturally occurring radioactive material in goods such as ceramics, fertilizer and soy beans, or whether the alarm could indicate smuggled material, warranting further inspection.
The mobile application Tool for Radiation Alarm and Commodity Evaluation (TRACE) provides detailed information to help assess radiation instrument alarms. Fast and accurate assessment is important to minimize the impact of innocent alarms on normal operations, and to enable customs officers to focus on potential transboundary movement of nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control.
The app, developed as part of an IAEA-led coordinated research project that involved experts from more than 20 Member States, was developed using information on commodities and isotopes collected by radiation portal monitors. It is available for download on Apple and Android devices.