INFORMATION SHEET

Proficiency Test for Tritium, Cobalt, Strontium and Caesium Isotopes in Seawater
2018 (IAEA-RML-2018-01)

The intention of this IAEA proficiency test is to support laboratories with the analyses of tritium,
cobalt, strontium, and Cs isotopes in seawater in relation to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
station accident in 2011 and subsequent releases into the marine environment.

1. Description of material
A sample containing 5 L of filtered Mediterranean seawater spiked with radionuclides 3H, 60Co,
90
Sr, 134Cs, 137Cs and one undisclosed gamma emitter with massic activities only known to the
organiser will be distributed to the participants. The combined 3H, 60Co, 90Sr, 134Cs, 137Cs and
undisclosed gamma emitter massic activity in the exercise samples is lower than the natural activity
level of 40K in seawater (which is approximately 12 Bq kg-1), but higher than pre-Fukushima
background levels in the Pacific Ocean originating from global weapon fallout. The sample also
contains a non-active Co-carrier and a Cs-carrier both at 10 mg kg-1 in order to stabilise the solution
and to avoid adsorption to the container walls. No Sr-carrier was added to the sample as non-active
Sr present in seawater naturally will act as a carrier for 90Sr.

2. Instructions
The massic activities of 3H, 60Co, 90Sr, 134Cs, 137Cs and the undisclosed gamma emitter should be
determined by any appropriate method, subject to the materials availability / participant’s choice.

3. Radionuclides to be determined
This exercise is designed to check the participating laboratories' performance for 3H, 60Co, 90Sr,
134
Cs, 137Cs and the undisclosed gamma emitter determination in seawater. Participants are invited
to submit a single result for each of these six radionuclides (or a sub-set of results; for instance only
60
Co, 134Cs and 137Cs with gamma spectrometry).

4. Recommendations for analysis and data reporting

The tasks of the participants

An independent analyses should be carried out and one result for the massic activity of a
radionuclide should be reported together with its uncertainty (at k=1), both expressed in Bq kg-1.

The laboratories should report the following information and results:

 A short description of the analytical method applied for the sample analysis
 The type of calibration applied and the software used for the gamma spectrometric system
 Nuclear data used for evaluation (half-life, energy, gamma yield, etc.)
 The uncertainty budget considered for the measurement results (see below)
Proposed uncertainty budget for data reporting:

 Uncertainty of the detector efficiency including the uncertainty of the calibration source (or
uncertainty of the detector efficiency in case of the mathematical model)
 Estimated uncertainty of the chemical yield (where applicable) and uncertainty of the weight
measurements
 Uncertainty of any corrections applied

The reference date for the massic activities is 1 November 2018. The exercise deadline for
reporting results is 31 December 2018. All results will be treated as confidential and each
laboratory will be informed only of its individual code number.

After data evaluation, an IAEA report describing the results of the Proficiency Test will be issued.

Results should be reported on the exercise reporting form (Excel sheets which will be provided
separately) and sent preferably by e-mail to:

Mr Arend Harms
Radiometrics Laboratory
IAEA-Environment Laboratories
4a, Quai Antoine 1er
MC 98000 MONACO

E-mail: a.v.harms@iaea.org
Tel: +377 97 97 72 28 (direct) or +377 97 97 72 15 (secretary)
Fax: +377 97 97 72 73