Undeclared nuclear activities are challenging given the lack of information from the sites involved in such activities. Wide-area environmental sampling (WAES) can be an effective method to detect undeclared nuclear activities. However, it is crucial to address the potential risks during the WAES, including sample tampering or extortions. Therefore, tracking and monitoring of various on-site data is imperative to accurately interpret the status of samples and workers throughout the WAES process. ‘Environmental and Geographical Data Transfer (EGDT)’ was developed for the real-time monitoring of integrated on-site data. EGDT module is equipped with various sensors and can be attached to a worker’s uniform or a sample storage box. This study demonstrated the technical effectiveness of EGDT by exploring three experimental methodologies for feasibility assessment. Compared to the Normal Operation case, the inference of the Sample Extortion case was predominantly based on changes in lux and dose rate. The inference of the Out-of-Work-Area case primarily relied on changes in dose rate and acceleration. Finally, the preliminary evaluation of the performance of the developed prototype was conducted, and a foundation was established for enhancing the application in the WAES process.

Recently, the status of North Korea’s denuclearization has become an international issue, and there are also indications of potential nuclear proliferation among neighboring countries. So, the need for establishment of nuclear activity verification technology and strategy is growing. In terms of ensuring verification completeness, sample collection-based analysis is essential. The concepts of Chain of Custody (CoC) and Continuity of Knowledge (CoK) can be defined in the process of sample extraction as follows: CoC is interpreted as the ‘system for managing the flow of information subjected by the examinee’, and CoK is interpreted as the ‘Continuity of information collection through CoC subjected by the inspector’. In the case of sample collection process in unreported areas for nuclear activity verification, there are additional risks such as worker exposure/kidnapping or sample theft/tampering. Therefore, the introduction of additional devices might be required to maintain CoC and CoK in the unreported area. In this study, an Environmental Geometrical Data Transfer (EGDT) was developed to ensure the safety of workers and the CoC/CoK of the samples during the collection process. This device was designed for achieving both mobility and rechargeability. It is categorized into two modes based on its intended users: sample mode and worker mode. Through the sensors, which is positioned in the rear part of device, such as radiation, gyroscope, light, temperature, humidity and proximity sensors, it can be easily achievable various environmental information in real-time. Additionally, GPS information can also be received, allowing for responsiveness to various hazardous scenarios. Moreover, the OLED display positioned on the front gives us for checking device information such as the current status of the device such as the battery level, the connectivity of wifi, and etc. Finally, an alarm function was integrated to enable rapid awareness during emergency situations. These functions can be updated and modified through Arduino-based firmware, and both the device and the information collected through it can be remotely controlled via custom software. Based on the presented design conditions, a prototype was developed and field assessments were conducted, yielding results within an acceptable margin of error for various scenarios. Through the application of the EGDT developed in this study to the sample collection process for nuclear activity verification purposes, it is expected to achieve a stable maintenance of CoC/CoK through more accurate information transmission and reception.