The Metrological Traceability, Performance and Precision of European Radon Calibration Facilities

Thomas R. Beck, Andrei Antohe, Francesco Cardellini, Alexandra Cucoş, Eliska Fialova, Claudia Grossi, Kinga Hening, Jens Jensen, Dejan Kastratović, Matej Krivošík, Patrick Lobner, Aurelian Luca, Franz Josef Maringer, Nathalie Michielsen, Petr P. S. Otahal, Luis Quindós, Daniel Rábago, Carlos Sainz, László Szűcs, Constantin Teodorescu, Cathrin Tolinsson, Cornel Liviu Tugulan, Tuukka Turtiainen, Arturo Vargas, Josef Vosahlik, Goran Vukoslavovic, Hannah Wiedner and Katarzyna Wołoszczuk
Additional contact information
Thomas R. Beck: Federal Office for Radiation Protection, 10318 Berlin, Germany
Andrei Antohe: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara “Horia Hulubei”, 077125 Ilfov County, Romania
Francesco Cardellini: ENEA-INMRI, 00123 Roma, Italy
Alexandra Cucoş: “CONSTANTIN COSMA” Radon Laboratory, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes—Bolyai University, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Eliska Fialova: Státní Ústav Jaderné, Chemické a Biologické Ochrany, 262 31 Milin, Czech Republic
Claudia Grossi: Laboratory of 222Rn Studies, Institut de Tècniques Energètiques, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Kinga Hening: “CONSTANTIN COSMA” Radon Laboratory, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes—Bolyai University, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Jens Jensen: SwedishRadiation Safety Authority, 171 16 Stockholm, Sweden
Dejan Kastratović: Bureau of Metrology, Podgorica 81000, Montenegro
Matej Krivošík: Slovak Institute of Metrology, Department of Ionizing Radiation, 842 55 Bratislava, Slovakia
Patrick Lobner: Physikalisch-Technischer Prüfdienst, Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen, 1160 Vienna, Austria
Aurelian Luca: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara “Horia Hulubei”, 077125 Ilfov County, Romania
Franz Josef Maringer: Physikalisch-Technischer Prüfdienst, Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen, 1160 Vienna, Austria
Nathalie Michielsen: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, 92262 Paris, France
Petr P. S. Otahal: Státní Ústav Jaderné, Chemické a Biologické Ochrany, 262 31 Milin, Czech Republic
Luis Quindós: Radon Group, Laboratory of Environmental Radioactivity of the University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
Daniel Rábago: Radon Group, Laboratory of Environmental Radioactivity of the University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
Carlos Sainz: Radon Group, Laboratory of Environmental Radioactivity of the University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
László Szűcs: Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala, 1024 Budapest, Hungary
Constantin Teodorescu: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara “Horia Hulubei”, 077125 Ilfov County, Romania
Cathrin Tolinsson: SwedishRadiation Safety Authority, 171 16 Stockholm, Sweden
Cornel Liviu Tugulan: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara “Horia Hulubei”, 077125 Ilfov County, Romania
Tuukka Turtiainen: Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, 00880 Helsinki, Finland
Arturo Vargas: Laboratory of 222Rn Studies, Institut de Tècniques Energètiques, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Josef Vosahlik: Státní Ústav Jaderné, Chemické a Biologické Ochrany, 262 31 Milin, Czech Republic
Goran Vukoslavovic: Bureau of Metrology, Podgorica 81000, Montenegro
Hannah Wiedner: Physikalisch-Technischer Prüfdienst, Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen, 1160 Vienna, Austria
Katarzyna Wołoszczuk: Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, 03-194 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: An interlaboratory comparison for European radon calibration facilities was conducted to evaluate the establishment of a harmonized quality level for the activity concentration of radon in air and to demonstrate the performance of the facilities when calibrating measurement instruments for radon. Fifteen calibration facilities from 13 different European countries participated. They represented different levels in the metrological hierarchy: national metrology institutes and designated institutes, national authorities for radiation protection and participants from universities. The interlaboratory comparison was conducted by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and took place from 2018 to 2020. Participants were requested to measure radon in atmospheres of their own facilities according to their own procedures and requirements for metrological traceability. A measurement device with suitable properties was used to determine the comparison values. The results of the comparison showed that the radon activity concentrations that were determined by European calibration facilities complying with metrological traceability requirements were consistent with each other and had common mean values. The deviations from these values were normally distributed. The range of variation of the common mean value was a measure of the degree of agreement between the participants. For exposures above 1000 Bq/m 3 , the variation was about 4% for a level of confidence of approximately 95% ( k = 2 ) . For lower exposure levels, the variation increased to about 6%.

Keywords: radon; interlaboratory comparison; radon activity concentration; calibration; metrological traceability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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