Results of a European interlaboratory comparison on gross alpha/beta activity determination in drinking water

An interlaboratory comparison was organised by JRC-IRMM among environmental radioactivity monitoring laboratories for the determination of gross alpha/beta activity concentration in drinking water. Independent standard methods were used for the reference value determination. The performance of participating laboratories was evaluated with respect to the reference values using relative deviations. Sample preparation and measurement methods used by the participating laboratories are detailed, in particular in the view of method-dependency of the results. Many of the participants’ results deviate by more than two orders of magnitude from the reference values regardless of the techniques used. This suggests that gross methods need revision.