Development of a Four-Module Deployable Radiological Emergency Laboratory for Rapid Internal Dosimetry and Field Assays

Deployable radiological laboratories have evolved substantially over the past 20 years in response to the need for rapid, medically interpretable information during radiological emergencies occurring far from fixed analytical facilities. Early French mobile laboratories were limited to qualitative NaI(Tl) surveys and relied heavily on centralized laboratories for confirmatory analysis, resulting in delayed dose assessment and limited forensic capability. Building on operational experience and NATO doctrine (STANAG 4590), a four-module deployable system - the Radiological Emergency Laboratory (Laboratoire d'Urgence Radiologique, LUR) - was developed to integrate in vivo spectrometry, radiotoxicology, physical dosimetry, and cytogenetic triage within a unified operational architecture. The system can be mounted on armored Griffon vehicles or 4 × 4 all-terrain platforms, enabling deployment in operational environments where civilian mobile laboratories cannot operate. Modules 1 and 2 provide rapid screening and confirmatory in vivo measurements, while Modules 3 and 4 support comprehensive radiotoxicology and dosimetry. Analytical performance (ICP-MS, α-spectrometry, HPGe spectrometry) approaches that of fixed laboratories, enabling isotopic discrimination and early estimation of committed effective dose. By resolving most cases directly in the field, the LUR reduces the number of samples requiring referral to central radiochemical laboratories, thereby preventing saturation of national analytical capacity during large-scale radiological incidents. The LUR therefore provides a medically oriented, operationally robust, and economically sustainable capability for modern radiological emergency response, ranging from localized contamination events to large-scale population triage.