Van Es, E M; Pearce, A K (2022) Nuclear Industry Proficiency Test Exercise 2021. NPL Report. IR 60

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Abstract

An eighth Nuclear Industry Proficiency Test Exercise has been run by NPL. One sample was prepared, consisting of a mild steel drum (volume 200 L nominal) loaded with 240 plastic bottles (volume 500 mL nominal each) stacked in 5 layers of 48 bottles. Each bottle was filled with inactive vermiculite. Three plastic vials (20 mL volume) each containing ion-exchange resin (ca. 15 g) were inserted into three of the 500 mL bottles. These three bottles were placed centrally in the second layer i.e. the layer one up from the bottom of the drum. Each plastic vial had previously been spiked with known masses of standard solutions of 60Co, 137Cs and 241Am, and the total mass of the drum’s contents was known. The activity per unit mass of each radionuclide present was therefore known, being approximately 5.9 Bq g−1, 11.9 Bq g-1 and 18.9 Bq g−1, respectively.

The participants reported their measured activity per unit mass for the individual radionuclides. The participants were told which radionuclides were present and a range for the activity per unit mass of each radionuclide, along with details of the empty drum (e.g. mass and dimensions) and the material type present. After the initial reporting deadline, the location of the activity within the drum was disclosed by NPL and participants were invited to submit additional results before a second reporting deadline.

Item Type:	Report/Guide (NPL Report)
NPL Report No.:	IR 60
Keywords:	Nuclear Metrology, Nuclear, Waste Assay, Drum, Proficiency Test Exercise
Subjects:	Ionising Radiation > Radioactivity
Divisions:	Medical, Marine & Nuclear
Identification number/DOI:	10.47120/npl.IR60
Last Modified:	27 May 2022 13:23
URI:	https://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/9453