QUALITY ASSURANCE OF RADON MEASUREMENTS IN ROMANIA

ALEXANDRA CUCOS, BETY BURGHELE

BABEŞ-BOLYAI UNIVERSITY (UBB),

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTA SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING,

„CONSTANTIN COSMA” RADON LABORATORY (LIRACC)

CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA

QA SYSTEM FOR RN MEASUREMENTS INDOORS AND IN WATER UBB-LIRACC/ROMANIA

• ELEMENTS OF THE QA SYSTEM

Directive CE 2013/59 EURATOM

Romanian Regulations:

(1) HG 526/2018 – National Radon Action Plan

(2) Law nr. 111/1996/ 2018 on the safe conduct, regulation, authorization and control of nuclear activities

(3) Order 237/ 2019 - Norms regarding the procedure for designating laboratories for the nuclear field

Art. 17-18 – the calibration of equipment is mandatory for authorized laboratories - Annualy

(4) Order185/2019 - Methodology for determining the radon concentration in the air inside buildings and at workplaces

(5) Law 301/2015 - Requirements for the protection of the population regarding radioactive substances in drinking water

ISO 11665-4:2020, Integrated measurement method for determining average activity concentration using passive sampling and delayed analysis

ISO 11665-5:2020, Continuous measurement methods of the activity concentration

ISO 13164-1:2013, Water quality — Radon-222 — Part 1: General principles

CALIBRATION OF RN MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS IN UBB-LIRACC/ROMANIA

• CALIBRATION SYSTEM

The only available profesional radon chamber is not yet authorized in the calibration metrologycategory (IFIN – HH Bucharest)

UBB-LiRaCC – Radon calibration chamber for internal calibration of intruments and educationalpurposes.

• ORGANIZATIONS RESPONSIBLE

Accepted calibrations can be performed by metrological institutes in Europe and by manufacturers of radon instruments.

EXPERIENCE OF INTERCOMPARISON OF PASSIVE OR ACTIVE MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS

1. As a participant

• When participated in which intercomparison

15 international intercomparisons, between 2006 – 2020

Passive measurements:

BfS Germany 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz Intercomparison of Passive Radon Detectors

MetroRadon 2018, 2019 Salamanca-Santander University of Cantabria (UC), Spain - JRP EMPIR 16ENV10 Intercomparison onindoor radon at Laboratory of Natural Radiation; Intercomparison of indoor radon and geogenic radon measurements under fieldconditions (WP3 Comparison and harmonisation of radon measuerement methodologies in Europe)

LNR 2017, Salamanca-Santander, Spain - Metrological test of Active and Passive Radon Monitors and Detectors

NRPI Prague, Czech Republic 2016, 2013 - Intercomparasion of Radon/Thoron gas and Radon short - lived Decay ProductMasurement Instruments at National Radiation Protection Institute

NIRS Chiba, Japan 2013, 2010, 2008, 2007 - Intercomparasion of Radon/Thoron Detectors with the NIRS Radon/Thoron Chamber

EXPERIENCE OF INTERCOMPARISON OF PASSIVE OR ACTIVE MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS

1 As a participant

• When participated in which intercomparison

11 international intercomparisons, between 2006 – 2020

Active measurements, latest:

• BfS 2019 - MetroRadon Intercomparisons for AlphaGuard equipment - Validationof traceability, performance and precision of European radon calibration facilitiesin the range from 300 - 10000Bq/m3 (Radon intercomparison) Task 5.2,MetroRADON Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Salzgitter, Germany);

• NRPI 2019 Intercomparison of Radon gas Continuous Monitors (Prague, CzechRepublic);

• MetroRadon 2019 (Salamanca, Spain) Intercomparison of indoor radon andgeogenic radon measurements under field conditions (WP3 Comparison andharmonization of radon measurement methodologies in Europe), University ofCantabria (UC) JRP EMPIR 16ENV10;

• MetroRadon LNR 2018 Intercomparison on indoor radon at Laboratory of NaturalRadiation, LNR, (Salamanca, Spain)

EXPERIENCE OF INTERCOMPARISON OF PASSIVE OR ACTIVE MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS

1 AS A PARTICIPANT

• HOW DO WE USE THE RESULTS OF INTERCOMPARISON

Results between 5 - 10% no corrections were applied

> 10% correction factors were applied

EXPERIENCE OF INTERCOMPARISON OF PASSIVE OR ACTIVE MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS

2 AS AN ORGANISER

FEERAS 2012 - International Intercomparison Exercise of Active Radon devices and Passive detectors at First East European Radon Symposium, Cluj Napoca, Romania, 2012

• For which type of instrument: active and passive detectors

• With which protocol and devices (radon chamber, test bench or other, calibrated instruments…): LiRaCC Radon chamber

CHALLENGES FOR GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICES AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF RN MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS IN UBB-LIRACC/ROMANIA

- HIGH COSTS OF INTERNATIONAL PROFICIENCY TESTING

- LACK OF NATIONAL METROLOGY FOR RADON INTRUMENTS