About IAEA JAPAN Proficiency Test



Information　

02/03/2012
University of Tsukuba officially announced "The collaboration Project of IAEA and University of Tsukuba: Japan Proficiency Test of Environmental Radionuclides Measurement by 21 institutions in Japan".

About Proficiency Test　


Non-destructive gamma-ray spectrometry for simultaneous determination of multi-radionuclides has been widely used since the specifications of the devices have been improved and the operation has become easier with variety of analytical software. Due to its easiness to use, however, samples were measured without sufficient knowledge and careful handling, and the results got out of control in many cases. Particularly, after the nuclear power plant accidents in recent years, the utmost care is required in measuring samples that have not been generally handled and in mutually comparing performances among various laboratories.

For example, laboratories own different types of germanium (Ge) detectors which are categorized into coaxial, planar and well type according to their germanium crystals. Each type of detectors differs in the energy range they have and the radionuclides they show good performance for.　Moreover, the geometry of the sample should be in accordance with the germanium crystal type. The background of the radionuclides varies among laboratories in response to the differences caused by the shielding materials, sample containers, and noise from peripheral electrical devices as well as the amount of natural radiation from cosmic rays and the earth’s crust.

Cs-134, in particular, continues to be essential in evaluating radiation in the future, however, efficiency calibration of detectors using Cs-134 standards has not been currently conducted in most of the laboratories. The detection efficiency of the detectors used in each laboratory is not uniform since the distinctiveness of analytical software has been reported.

In addition, in dealing with natural samples, the existence of disturbing radionuclides in the samples with the target radionuclides and the gamma-ray absorption within the sample itself due to a sample matrix cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is extremely useful to calculate detection efficiency using an environmental sample having similar matrix with the samples to be measured. In Japan, however, standard environmental samples of soil, water and grass did not exist.

The Proficiency Test (PT), which is one of the mutual evaluation methods of radionuclide determination by IAEA, has been conducted in response to such situation. With this test, IAEA can mutually compare the values of the standard environmental samples with the values reported by the participating laboratories and asses their accuracy while the laboratories can receive feedback on the test and advice from the experts for more accurate and reliable measurement.

Participated Proficiency Test (Onda's Lab)


IAEA/AL/166
「Report IAEA-CU-2006-02 Proficiency Test on the Determination of Cs-137 and Pb-210 in spiked soil」


IAEA/AL/171
「Report IAEA-CU-2006-03 World-Wide Open Proficiency Test on the Determination of Gamma Emitting Radionuclides」

The description of IAEA Proficiency Test.

Dear DR. Onda,

Thank you very much for your interest in the IAEA PTs.
1. We can arrange for the following matrices:
2. Soil
3. Grass （Cs-137, K-40）
4. Water （Cs-137, Cs-134）
5. Simulated air filters （Cs-137）


The details about IAEA JAPAN　Proficiency Test.



　　

Professor Onda (University of Tsukuba) and his team have been studing and evaluating the migtation of radionuclides as an urgent matter our country is facing since the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami on March 11, 2011.

For the future analysis of environmental samples, the accurate quantification of radionuclides and the exact standard in a variety of environmental samples are necessary. However, there was no standard sample to meet them, as a result of protracted negotiations, IAEA has decided to provide samples only in Japan and made possible to test each institution.
Also, this is the reconstruction project for Fukushima by IAEA.


We consider this project 「The IAEA-TEL-2011-08 National Japanese Proficiency Test on the determination of radionuclides in soil, grass, water and air filters」 is very important to guarantee the reliability of the measured value in Japan.


Japanese Proficiency Test： The details of Study

IAEA Japan Proficiency Test

　
　



The IAEA-TEL-2011-08 National Japanese Proficiency Test on the determination of radionuclides
in soil, grass, water and air filters



Japan Proficiency Test: Participants 　

Chisato TAKENAKA： Graduate School of Bioagricultural Science, Nagoya University
Keitaro TANOI： Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo
Tesuro MIMURA：Graduate School of Maritime Science, Kobe University
Takeshi MATSUNAGA：Japan Atomic Energy Agency- Tokai Research and Development Center
Tsutomu OHTSUKI： Research Center for Electron Photon Science, Tohoku University
Akihiko YOKOYAMA： College of Science and Engineering (Radiochemistry Lab), Kanazawa University
Yasuji OOURA：Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Atsushi SHINOHARA：Department of Chemistry Graduate School of Science, Osaka University
Yoshio TAKAHASHI：Faculty of Science Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University
Yuichi ONDA：Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of Tsukuba
Tomohiro SEKI：Nihon Environmental Services Co., Ltd.
Kenichiro TOKUDA：UNITIKA Environmental Technical Center Ltd.
Keiko MATSUOKA：Analysis center, Environmental Control Center Co., Ltd.
Katsuhiko ICHIKAWA：IDEA Consultants, Inc.
Kazuhiro SEKIGUCHI：NAITOH Environmental Science Co.,Ltd.
Akira ONODERA：Tohoku Branch, NS Environmental Science Consultant Corporation
Keigo ASAI：Nihonsoken Co.,Ltd　
Keiji SANEYOSHI：Radiation Research and Management Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Kenji Nanba：Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Science
Yasuhito Igarashi：Atmospheric Environment and Applied Meteorology Research Department, Meteorological Research Institute
Masayoshi YAMAMOTO：The Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University

Press Releases regarding Japan PT　

2012/02/06 Yomiuri Newspaper：Ability to measure implementation, the proficiency testing will be in force.
2012/02/04 Asahi Newspaper：Sample to provide accurate measurement of radioactivity / Variability of soil measurement calibration
2012/02/04 Mainichi Newspaper：Fukushima NPP -Standard sample of radioactive material to improve measurement accuracy