New approaches for interlaboratory comparisons analysis using dark uncertainty applied to radioactive materials

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Effective management of radioactive waste from nuclear decommissioning and site remediation requires well-characterized materials.
• Accurate measurement techniques are crucial for assessing radioactive contamination and ensuring safe disposal routes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel methodology for organizing and analyzing interlaboratory comparisons (ILC) for radioactive material measurement.
• To evaluate the performance and uncertainty of measurement techniques used in nuclear facility decommissioning and site remediation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new methodology for interlaboratory comparisons (ILC).
• Application of the methodology to the BR3 case study, analyzing barium 133, cobalt 60, and europium 152 using gamma spectroscopy.
• Comparison of ILCs using certified reference materials (CRM) versus reference materials, incorporating ISO 21748:2017 and dark uncertainty analysis.

Main Results:

• ILCs organized on CRM offer more reliable uncertainty evaluation, accounting for bias.
• When CRMs are scarce or costly, ILCs can be performed on reference materials with proper uncertainty reporting and dark uncertainty analysis.
• The proposed methodology was successfully demonstrated on the BR3 case study.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodology enhances the assessment and uncertainty evaluation of radioactive material measurement techniques.
• The study provides practical insights into organizing ILCs, balancing the use of CRMs with alternative reference materials for performance assessment.
• This work contributes to improved radioactive waste management in nuclear facilities and remediation sites.