3D printing is widely used for manufacturing complex non-functional parts, and recently, the fabrication of electronics has also attracted research attention. The commercialized process of fused-filament fabrication (FFF), which is still evolving,has been used in the preparation of basic electronic conductors and sensors but only a few studies of more complex structures with integrated circuits and passive components have been reported. Notably, the usage of FFF in wearable stretchable electronics has not been studied previously. We demonstrate that the combination of FFF printing and commonly used stretchable electronics materials and methods enables new wearable stretchable electronics. In this study, thermoplastics were extruded directly onto a stretchable substrate and their adhesion was measured using T-peel tests. The test results were further used in the fabrication of supports for meander-shaped screen-printed interconnects. The elongation of the interconnects with the supports were studied by tensile tests with simultaneous measurements of the electrical conductivity. The results were good, and the adhesion exceeded the constitution of the substrate when the filament and the substrate were of the same material type. The average bond strength was ∼2 N mm−1. Support structures placed close to the meander-shaped interconnects changed the interconnects’ deformation under elongation. The average maximum elongation of the interconnects was improved by ∼27% when the supports directed stresses away from the interconnects’ weak areas. Conversely, the results were ∼21% lower when the supports directed stresses towards the weak areas. This study demonstrates that it is possible to use direct 3D printing onto highly stretchable substrates. Currently, commercial FFF materials and methods can be used to manufacture supports, frames and other non-functional parts on wearable electronics substrates in a single process step. We believe that in the future, FFF will become a valuable tool in the manufacture of inexpensive and reliable wearable electronics.

Abstract. The purpose of the EUNADICS-AV (European Natural Airborne Disaster Information and Coordination System for Aviation) prototype early warning system (EWS) is to develop the combined use of harmonised data products from satellite, ground-based and in situ instruments to produce alerts of airborne hazards (volcanic, dust, smoke and radionuclide clouds), satisfying the requirement of aviation air traffic management (ATM) stakeholders (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/723986, last access: 5 November 2021). The alert products developed by the EUNADICS-AV EWS, i.e. near-real-time (NRT) observations, email notifications and netCDF (Network Common Data Form) alert data products (called NCAP files), have shown significant interest in using selective detection of natural airborne hazards from polar-orbiting satellites. The combination of several sensors inside a single global system demonstrates the advantage of using a triggered approach to obtain selective detection from observations, which cannot initially discriminate the different aerosol types. Satellite products from hyperspectral ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and infrared (IR) sensors (e.g. TROPOMI – TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument – and IASI – Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) and a broadband geostationary imager (Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager; SEVIRI) and retrievals from ground-based networks (e.g. EARLINET – European Aerosol Research Lidar Network, E-PROFILE and the regional network from volcano observatories) are combined by our system to create tailored alert products (e.g. selective ash detection, SO2 column and plume height, dust cloud, and smoke from wildfires). A total of 23 different alert products are implemented, using 1 geostationary and 13 polar-orbiting satellite platforms, 3 external existing service, and 2 EU and 2 regional ground-based networks. This allows for the identification and the tracking of extreme events. The EUNADICS-AV EWS has also shown the need to implement a future relay of radiological data (gamma dose rate and radionuclides concentrations in ground-level air) in the case of a nuclear accident. This highlights the interest of operating early warnings with the use of a homogenised dataset. For the four types of airborne hazard, the EUNADICS-AV EWS has demonstrated its capability to provide NRT alert data products to trigger data assimilation and dispersion modelling providing forecasts and inverse modelling for source term estimate. Not all of our alert data products (NCAP files) are publicly disseminated. Access to our alert products is currently restricted to key users (i.e. Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, national meteorological services, the World Meteorological Organization, governments, volcano observatories and research collaborators), as these are considered pre-decisional products. On the other hand, thanks to the EUNADICS-AV–SACS (Support to Aviation Control Service) web interface (https://sacs.aeronomie.be, last access: 5 November 2021), the main part of the satellite observations used by the EUNADICS-AV EWS is shown in NRT, with public email notification of volcanic emission and delivery of tailored images and NCAP files. All of the ATM stakeholders (e.g. pilots, airlines and passengers) can access these alert products through this free channel.

In a nuclear or radiological emergency radiation measurements provide indispensable data needed in the management of the situation at hand. In order to assess the possible consequences correctly and to carry out proper countermeasures on time, the authorities must have a pre-prepared monitoring strategy at their disposal. There are, however, many different factors that affect a strategy. Thus, drawing up a comprehensive yet realistic emergency monitoring strategy is far from being an easy task. Some of the key factors related to strategies are reviewed and a simple way of producing a strategy plan is presented.

Finland has a long history in monitoring external radiation. Regular monitoring began in the early 1960s when the first networks measuring exposure rates were established. Today the nation-wide network is fully automatic and consists of about 260 stations with Geiger-Műller (GM) tubes. Some 25 stations also have a LaBr3 spectrometer. In this article the authors describe the history, experiences and major development stages of the Finnish dose rate monitoring arrangements and also have a brief look at the possible future.

Abstract. The purpose of the EUNADICS prototype Early Warning System (EWS) is to proceed the combined use of harmonise data products from satellite, ground-based and in situ instruments to produce alerts of airborne hazard (volcanic, dust, smoke and radionuclide clouds), satisfying the requirement of ATM stakeholders (www.eunadics.eu). The alert products developed by EUNADICS EWS (i.e. NRT observations, email notifications and NetCDF Alert data Products, called NCAP) have shown shows the significant interest in using selective detection of natural airborne hazards from polar orbiting satellite. The combination of several sensors inside a single global system demonstrates the advantage of using a triggered approach to obtain selective detection from observations, which cannot initially discriminate the different aerosol types. Satellite products from hyperspectral UV and IR sensors (e.g. TROPOMI, IASI) and broadband geostationary imager (SEVIRI), and retrievals from ground-based networks (e.g. EARLINET, E-PROFILE and the regional network from volcanic observatories), are combined by our system to create tailored alert products (e.g. selective ash detection, SO2 column and plume height, dust cloud and smoke from wildfires). A total of 23 different alert products are implemented, using 1 geostationary and 12 polar orbiting satellite platforms, 3 external existing service, 2 EU and 2 regional ground-based networks. This allows the identification and the traceability of extreme events. EUNADICS EWS has also shown the interest to proceed a future relay of radiological data (gamma dose rate and radionuclides concentrations in ground-level air) in case of nuclear accident, highlighting the capability of operating early warnings with the use of homogenised dataset. For the four types of airborne hazard, EUNADICS EWS has demonstrated its capability to provide NRT alert data products to trigger data assimilation and dispersion modelling providing forecasts, and inverse modelling for source term estimate. All our alert data products (NCAP files) are not publicly disseminated. Access to our alert products is currently restricted to key users (i.e. Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, National Meteorological Services, World Meteorological Organization, governments, volcanic observatories and research collaborators), as these are considered pre-decisional products. On the other hand, thanks to the SACS/EUNADICS web interface (https://sacs.aeronomie.be), the main part of the satellite observations used by EUNADICS EWS, are shown in NRT, with public email notification of volcanic emission and delivery of tailored images and NCAP files. All the ATM stakeholders (e.g. VAACs, NMSs, WMOs, Airlines and Pilots) can access and benefit of these alert products through this free channel.