Release Notes

 

ERICA Tool 2.0 – Update 2024-06-03

ERICA Assessment Tool 2.0 has been updated - build 2.0.227

This update fixes a bug that does not allow to continue the assessment after defining the spatial/temporal series in Aquatic ecosystem.

How to update ERICA Tool?

In ERICA, go to Help menu, click on 'Check for updates'. Download the updates and restart ERICA.

You can also install this version using the ERICA setup file.

 

 

ERICA Tool 2.0 – Update 2024-05-08

ERICA Assessment Tool 2.0 has been updated - build 2.0.226

This update fixes a bug in build 2.0.225 (Update 2024-02-29) that prevents the calculation from being completed in Tier 2 for Terrestrial ecosystem with series of data.

 

 

ERICA Tool 2.0 - Update (29 Feb 2024)

ERICA Assessment Tool 2.0 has been updated - build 2.0.225

This update provides the following changes.

  • For Terrestrial ecosystem, the calculation of Rn-220 and Rn-222 inhalation dose rates for all organisms other than mammals are now disabled, by default. However, the user can choose to calculate internal doses for all animals using the corresponding option that appears in the right panel of the Assessment Context screen.  Lichen internal dose calculations are now always disabled to make the quantification of exposure consistent with vegetation (Grasses and Herbs, Shrub and Tree).
  • The list of radionuclides that can be added to ERICA has been revised to match the notation used in the ICRP database. This has fixed the “bad nuclide name” error for some isotopes when running the Biota DC tool.

Further guidance and explanation regarding the "Calculation of Rn-220 & Rn-222 inhalation dose rates" will be provided in the Help documentation in a future version of ERICA (planned for later in 2024).

 

 

ERICA Tool 2.0 - Update (12 June 2023)

ERICA Assessment Tool 2.0 has been updated - build 2.0.221

Problems fixed

  • issues around the initiation box remaining permanently on after starting ERICA v2.0.
  • errors not being reported when data files are validated during the import of organisms/assessments.
  • equilibrium correction factors for user-added radionuclides not being included in dose rate calculations. The automatic calculation of these factors is now implemented.
  • issues when reading the eq_factor from database when user defined value exists.
  • issues with user-entered CR values for added radionuclides, the user completes the assessment and then returned to the CRs screen to change the values having noticed an error. After saving the new values and run through to the results the dose rates haven’t altered and the old CRs are shown in the results tables whereas going back still shows the new values.
  • issues when running assessment with time series data using the exchange data function. If user goes back and removes a radionuclide from the context screen, and then continues through next steps, the removed radionuclide remains in the inputs section with the previous data.
  • issues with validation of data file when importing values into the Inputs in a single point assessment. The export and import options are now accessible from the ‘Exchange data’ panel in the Inputs screen.
  • issues to launch ERICA and open project when double click on a saved .eca file in Windows explorer.

New features and changes

  • Calculation of activity concentration in decay chains has been updated to consider branching ratios. Short-lived daughters with low branching ratios are excluded (At-218, Tl-210 and U-237). Table 6 in Help documentation updated.
  • The ERICA tool now automatically checks for updates on startup and displays the option to install updates if available.
  • If active ERICA project is saved, the file path is shown in the title bar of the tool.

 

 

ERICA Tool 2.0 - Release (2 November 2021)

The ERICA Assessment Tool has been updated to version 2.0.

The update from ERICA version 1.3 to version 2.0 comprises the following new features, changes, and fixes:

  • New dosimetry:
    • The ERICA Tool now integrates the ICRP Biota DC software tool, ver. 1.5.1 (implementing ICRP Publication 136) for the calculation of dose conversion coefficients (DCC) for user-defined organisms
    • A new approach for the calculation of the dose contribution from short-lived progeny in a decay chain has been implemented, for a chosen integration period of 1 year. Short-lived progeny are now modelled explicitly, with a correction to allow for radioactive decay of the unsupported progeny during the integration period. Further information is available in the help file (see “Calculation of media activity concentrations in decay chains”). 
  • Inclusion of noble gases and radon and thoron
    • Implementation of DCCs for external radiation from immersion in air derived using the ICRP Biota DC software tool
    • Inclusion of DCCs for internal alpha radiation for radon and thoron in animals based on:
      • Vives i Batlle, J., Ulanovsky, A., Copplestone, D. (2017). A method for assessing exposure of terrestrial wildlife to environmental radon (Rn-222) and thoron (Rn-220). Science of The Total Environment, 605–606, pp. 569-577.
      • See Help “A note on noble gases”. 
  • Updated CRs
    • Values updated for consistency with the Wildlife Transfer Database (WTD)
    • A new method has been implemented to derive ERICA default CR value when no empirical data available for the nuclide/organism combination
    • References to the WTD have been added. 
    • New equilibrium correction factors for short-lived radionuclides have been implemented to allow for lower steady state activity concentrations than would be predicted for stable or longer-lived nuclides.
    • CR values for Phosphorus and Sulphur in the terrestrial ecosystem now relate to radionuclide activity concentrations in soil and not in air as in previous versions of the tool.
  • Updated Kds for freshwater to be consistent with IAEA MODARIA working group (Boyer P., Wells C., Howard B., (2018), Extended Kd distributions for freshwater environment, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 192, 128 – 142).
  • EMCLs updated to take account changes to parameter values
  • Various functional enhancements, including:
    • Added option to import several organisms (see Database > Organisms). 
    • Added new screen to display the WTD references (see Database / WTD references). 
    • The Help documentation has been updated. 
    • Fixes and enhancements to the tool's interface. 

These changes are summarised in slides from the ICRER Online event, held in July 2021, which are still available for download here. In addition,  a new report describing the main features of the update, the implication of changes on ERICA Tool results (as compared with version 1.3) and an overview of the underlying reasons behind the key changes has been prepared and is also available here.