Functions of decision support systems (JRodos as an example): overview and new features and products

Under the auspices of its Euratom Research Framework Programmes, the European Commission (EC) has supported the development of the RODOS (Real-time Online DecisiOn Support) system for off-site emergency management after nuclear accidents for more than a decade. Significant additional funds have been provided by many national research programmes, research institutes and industrial collaborators. In particular, the German Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety financially contributed to the project with an emphasis on early emergency response. The final result of these collaborative actions, the comprehensive RODOS system, can be applied generally within and across Europe. It can be used in national or regional nuclear emergency centres, provides coherent support at all stages of an accident, and includes the long-term management and restoration of contaminated areas. Within the NERIS-TP project, several model improvements have been developed, covering the worldwide applicability of the system, the coupling with the early notification system of the IAEA, improved countermeasure modelling and model adaptation for the new ICRP 103 recommendations. Several of these new tools were also integrated into the ARGOS system (Hoe S., Muller H., Gering F., Thykier-Nielsen S., Havskov Sorensen J. (2002) ARGOS 2001: A decision support system for nuclear emergencies. In: American Nuclear Society Transactions. Winter Meeting Vol. 87, pp. 574-579).