Performance evaluation of a European scale proficiency test on radon-in-water measurements in Europe

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109111Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • A large scale radon-in-water proficiency test was organised with 101 participants.

  • 84% of the 135 submitted measurement results were within the 20% reference range.

  • From the zeta scores it was found that 76% of measurement results were acceptable.

  • The accompanied questionnaire and workshop helped to identify erroneous practices.

  • This exercise gives representative picture on the quality of radon-in-water monitoring in the EU today.

Abstract

In 2018, a Europe wide proficiency test (PT) on measurements of the massic activity of 222Rn in drinking water was organised with the participation of 101 European environmental radioactivity monitoring laboratories. The performance of the participating laboratories was evaluated by comparing submitted results to the reference value using percentage deviation, z-score and zeta-score. It was found that 84% of the participants’ results were within the ±20% reference range. When analysing the zeta-score it was found that 76% of the participants' results were acceptable. The accompanied questionnaire and workshop helped to identify practices that could lead to erroneous results. As it was probably the largest scale PT on radon-in-water ever, the evaluation of results is representative of the quality of radon-in-water monitoring in the EU today.

Keywords

Radon
Proficiency test
Drinking water
Environmental radioactivity
Quality assurance

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