Radiation, Live: Where to See Current Readings for Your Area
Environmental radioactivity is monitored around the clock across much of the world — and nearly all the data is public. If you want to know how much radiation there is outside your door right now, you just need the right maps.
Official networks
- USA — RadNet: the EPA’s RadNet network runs monitors across all 50 states and publishes near-real-time air readings.
- Europe — EURDEP: the EU Commission’s European map pools some 5,500 stations from 39 countries.
- Switzerland — NADAM: the National Emergency Operations Centre maps current ambient dose rates nationwide.
- Germany — ODL-Info: the federal radiation office shows readings from about 1,700 stations at odlinfo.bfs.de.
Citizen science: the unofficial net
After the 2011 Fukushima accident, volunteer-run global networks emerged: Safecast aggregates measurement drives by volunteers, uRADMonitor operates a real-time sensor network. These data aren’t officially validated — but they’re a fascinating complement and proof that measuring radiation is no secret art.
What’s “normal,” anyway?
The maps show the ambient dose rate, usually in microsieverts per hour (µSv/h). Typical values:
| Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0.05–0.2 µSv/h | Normal range in lowlands |
| 0.2–0.5 µSv/h | Normal in mountain regions (more cosmic radiation, uranium-bearing rock) |
| brief spikes | Often just rain: it washes natural radon decay products out of the air |
Fluctuations within these ranges are everyday life, not a warning sign. Mountain readings beat lowland readings everywhere — someone living in Denver “collects” measurably more per year than someone in Miami, with no detectable health consequence. How to put such numbers in context is covered in Millisieverts explained.