Homogeneity Measurements for the EC Intercomparison Radioactivity in Soil

Abstract

In the frame of the International Comparison Scheme for Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring (ICS-REM), intercomparison soil samples will be distributed to European monitoring laboratories to be analysed for sixteen different radionuclides. The reference value of a comparison material is assumed to be valid for the whole batch at the level of a subsample with a minimum mass. Therefore, an inhomogeneity in the radionuclide concentration increases the uncertainty of the corresponding reference value. The homogeneity study of the soil samples was carried out at IRMM. For this purpose 10 bottles of the batch with intercomparison samples for REM laboratories, distributed over the entire range of filled bottles, were chosen for performing the homogeneity measurements. The homogeneity of the activity distribution of 137Cs, 40K, 212Pb, 214Pb, 212Bi and 214Bi in these samples was evaluated using gamma-ray spectrometry.JRC.DG.D.5 - Nuclear physic