ISO 13165-3:2016

Water quality — Radium-226 — Part 3: Test method using coprecipitation and gamma-spectrometry

ISO 13165-3:2016 specifies the determination of radium-226 (226Ra) activity concentration in all types of water by coprecipitation followed by gamma-spectrometry (see ISO 18589‑3). The method described is suitable for determination of soluble 226Ra activity concentrations greater than 0,02 Bq l−1 using a sample volume of 1 l to 100 l of any water type. For water samples smaller than a volume of 1 l, direct gamma-spectrometry can be performed following ISO 10703 with a higher detection limit. NOTE This test method also allows other isotopes of radium, 223Ra, 224Ra, and 228Ra, to be determined.

Qualité de l'eau — Radium 226 — Partie 3: Méthode d'essai par coprécipitation et spectrométrie gamma

L'ISO 13165-3:2016 spécifie la détermination de l'activité volumique du radium 226 (226Ra), dans tous les types d'eaux par coprécipitation suivie d'une spectrométrie gamma (voir l'ISO 18589‑3). La méthode décrite est applicable pour la détermination de l'activité volumique du 226Ra soluble ayant une activité volumique en 226Ra supérieure à 0,02 Bq l−1 en utilisant un volume d'échantillon compris entre 1 l et 100 l de tout type d'eau. Pour des échantillons d'eau inférieurs à un volume de 1 l, la spectrométrie gamma directe peut être effectuée en se conformant à l'ISO 10703 avec une limite de détection supérieure. NOTE Cette méthode d'essai permet également le mesurage d'autres isotopes du radium (223Ra, 224Ra et 228Ra).

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 07-Mar-2016
• ICS: 13.060.60 - Examination of physical properties of water
• ICS: 17.240 - Radiation measurements
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 147/SC 3 - Radioactivity measurements
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 147/SC 3 - Radioactivity measurements
• Current Stage: 9599 - Withdrawal of International Standard
• Due Date: 04-Dec-2024
• Completion Date: 04-Dec-2024

Relations

• Revised: ISO 13165-3:2024 - Water quality — Radium-226 — Part 3: Test method using coprecipitation and gamma-ray spectrometry
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 13165-3
First edition
2016-03-01
Water quality — Radium-226 —
Part 3:
Test method using coprecipitation and
gamma-spectrometry
Qualité de l’eau — Radium 226 —
Partie 3: Méthode d’essai par coprécipitation et spectrométrie gamma
Reference number
©
ISO 2016
© ISO 2016, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Ch. de Blandonnet 8 • CP 401
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.iso.org
ii © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Symbols . 2
5 Principle of the measurement . 3
6 Reagents and equipment . 3
6.1 Reagents. 3
6.2 Equipment . 4
7 Sampling . 4
7.1 Sample collection . 4
7.2 Sample transport and storage . 4
8 Procedures . 4
8.1 Blank sample preparation . 4
8.2 Sample preparation . 5
8.3 Counting procedure . 5
9 Quality assurance and quality control programme . 5
9.1 General . 5
9.2 Influence quantities . 6
9.3 Instrument verification. 6
9.4 Method verification . 6
9.5 Demonstration of analyst capability . 6
10 Expression of results . 6
10.1 General . 6
10.2 Water-soluble Ra activity concentration . 7
10.3 Standard uncertainty of activity concentration . 7
10.4 Decision threshold . 7
10.5 Detection limit . 7
10.6 Limits of the confidence interval . 8
10.7 Corrections for contributions from other radionuclides and background . 8
10.7.1 General. 8
10.7.2 Contribution from other radionuclides . 9
10.7.3 Contribution from background .10
11 Expression of results .10
Annex A (informative) Uranium and its decay chain .12
Bibliography .14
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 147, Water quality, Subcommittee SC 3,
Radioactivity measurements.
ISO 13165 consists of the following parts, under the general title Water quality — Radium-226:
— Part 1: Test method using liquid scintillation counting
— Part 2: Test method using emanometry
— Part 3: Test method using coprecipitation and gamma-spectrometry
iv © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Radioactivity from several naturally occurring and human-made sources is present throughout the
environment. Thus, water bodies (surface waters, ground waters, sea waters) can contain radionuclides
of natural and human-made origins:
Natural radionuclides, including potassium-40, and those of the thorium and uranium decay series, in
particular radium-226, radium-228, uranium-234, uranium-238, and lead-210, can be found in water for
natural reasons (e.g. desorption from the soil and wash-off by rain water) or releases from technological
processes involving naturally occurring radioactive materials (e.g. the mining and processing of mineral
sands or phosphate fertilizer production and use).
Human-made radionuclides such as transuranium elements (americium, plutonium, neptunium,
curium), tritium, carbon-14, strontium-90, and gamma emitters radionuclides can also be found
in natural waters as they can be authorized to be routinely released into the environment in small
quantities in the effluent discharge from nuclear fuel cycle facilities and following their use in unsealed
form in medicine or industry. They are also found in the water due to the past fallout of the explosion in
the atmosphere of nuclear devices and those following the Chernobyl and Fukushima accident.
Human-made radionuclides, such as transuranium elements (americium, plutonium, neptunium,
curium), tritium, carbon-14, strontium-90, and some gamma emitting radionuclides, can also be found
in natural waters as a result of authorized routine releases into the environment in small quantities in
the effluent discharged from nuclear fuel cycle facilities. They are also released into the environment
following their use in unsealed form for medical and industrial applications. They are also found in
the water as a result of past fallout contamination resulting from the explosion in the atmosphere of
nuclear devices and accidents such as those that occurred in Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Drinking water can thus contain radionuclides at activity concentration which could present a risk to
human health. In order to assess the quality of drinking water (including mineral waters and spring
waters) with respect to its radionuclide content and to provide guidance on reducing health risks by
taking measures to decrease radionuclide activity concentrations, water resources (groundwater, river,
lake, sea, etc.) and drinking water are monitored for their radioactivity content as recommended by the
World Health Organization (WHO) and can be required by some national authorities.
The need of a standard on a test method of radium-226 activity concentrations in water samples is
justified for test laboratories carrying out these measurements, required sometimes by national
authorities, as they may have to obtain a specific accreditation for radionuclide measurement in
drinking water samples.
Radium-226 activity concentration can vary widely according to local geological and climatic
−1 −1
characteristics and ranges from 0,001 Bq·l in surface waters up to 50 Bq·l in natural groundwaters;
−1
the guidance level for radium 226 in drinking water as recommended by WHO is 1 Bq·l (see
Reference [13]).
NOTE The guidance level is the activity concentration (rounded to the nearest order of magnitude) with an
−1 −1
intake of 2 l·d of drinking water for 1 year that results in an effective dose of 0,1 mSv·y for members of the
public, an effective dose that represents a very low level of risk that is not expected to give rise to any detectable
adverse health effect.
This International Standard is one of a series on determination of the activity concentration of
radionuclides in water samples.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13165-3:2016(E)
Water quality — Radium-226 —
Part 3:
Test method using coprecipitation and gamma-
spectrometry
WARNING — Persons using this part of ISO 13165 should be familiar with normal laboratory
pr
...

DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/DIS 13165-3
ISO/TC 147/SC 3 Secretariat: AFNOR
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
2014-06-16 2014-09-16
Water quality — Radium-226 —
Part 3:
Test method using coprecipitation and gamma-
spectrometry
Qualité de l’eau — Radium 226 —
Partie 3: Méthode d’essai par coprécipitation et spectrométrie gamma
ICS: 17.240;13.060.60
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. IT IS
THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY
NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD UNTIL PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
Reference number
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO/DIS 13165-3:2014(E)
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
©
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. ISO 2014

ISO/DIS 13165-3:2014(E)
Copyright notice
This ISO document is a Draft International Standard and is copyright-protected by ISO. Except as
permitted under the applicable laws of the user’s country, neither this ISO draft nor any extract
from it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission being secured.
Requests for permission to reproduce should be addressed to either ISO at the address below or ISO’s
member body in the country of the requester.
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Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
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Reproduction may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.
Violators may be prosecuted.
ii © ISO 2014 – All rights reserved

ISO/DIS 13165-2
Contents Page
Foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions and symbols . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Symbols . 2
4 Principle of the measurement . 3
5 Reagents and equipment . 3
5.1 Reagents. 3
5.2 Equipment . 4
6 Sampling. 4
6.1 Sample collection . 4
6.2 Sample storage . 4
7 Procedures . 4
7.1 Sample preparation . 4
7.2 Counting procedure . 5
8 Quality assurance and quality control programme . 6
8.1 General . 6
8.2 Influence quantities . 6
8.3 Instrument verification . 6
8.4 Method verification . 6
8.5 Demonstration of analyst capability . 6
9 Expression of results . 7
9.1 General . 7
9.2 Water-soluble Ra activity concentration . 7
9.3 Standard uncertainty of activity concentration . 7
9.4 Decision threshold . 8
9.5 Detection limit . 8
9.6 Limits of the confidence interval . 8
9.7 Corrections for contributions from other radionuclides and background . 9
10 Expression of results . 10
Annex A (informative) Uranium and its decay chain . 12
Bibliography . 14

ISO/DIS 13165-2
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 13165-3 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 147, Water quality, Subcommittee SC 3,
Radioactivity measurements.
This second/third/. edition cancels and replaces the first/second/. edition (), [clause(s) / subclause(s) /
table(s) / figure(s) / annex(es)] of which [has / have] been technically revised.
ISO 13165 consists of the following parts, under the general title Water quality — Radium 226:
 Part 1: Test method using liquid scintillation counting
 Part 2: Test method using emanometry
 Part 3: Test method using co-precipitation and gamma spectrometry
vi © ISO 2012 – All rights reserved

ISO/DIS 13165-2
Introduction
Radioactivity from several naturally-occurring and human-made sources is present throughout the
environment. Thus, water bodies (surface waters, ground waters, sea waters) can contain radionuclides of
natural and origin human-made origin:
 Natural radionuclides, including potassium 40, and those of the thorium and uranium decay series, in
particular radium 226, radium 228, uranium 234, uranium 238, lead 210, can be found in water for natural
reasons (e.g. desorption from the soil and wash-off by rain water) or releases from technological
processes involving naturally occurring radioactive materials (e.g. the mining and processing of mineral
sands or phosphate fertilizer production and use);
 Human-made radionuclides such as transuranium elements (americium, plutonium, neptunium, curium),
tritium, carbone14, strontium 90 and some gamma emitters radionuclides can also be found in natural
waters as they can be authorized to be routinely released into the environment in small quantities in the
effluent discharged from nuclear fuel cycle facilities and following their used in unsealed form in medicine
or industry. They are also found in the water, due to the past fallout of the explosion in the atmosphere of
nuclear devices and those following the Chernobyl and Fukushima accident.
Drinking-water may thus contain radionuclides at activity concentration which could present a risk to human
health. In order to assess the quality of drinking-water (including mineral waters and spring waters) with
respect to its radionuclide content and to provide guidance on reducing health risks by taking measures to
decrease radionuclide activity concentrations, water resources (groundwater, river, lake, sea, etc.) and
drinking water are monitor for their radioactivity content as recommended by the World Health Organization
[WHO] and may be required by national authorities.
The need of a standard on a test method of radium 226 activity concentrations in water samples is justified for
test laboratory carrying out these measurements, required sometimes by national authorities, as they may
have to obtain a specific accreditation for radionuclide measurement in drinking water samples.
Radium-226 activity concentration can vary widely according to local geological and climatic characteristics
and ranges from 0,001 Bq.l-1 in surface waters up to 50 Bq.l-1 in natural groundwaters; the guidance level for
radium-226 in drinking water as recommended by WHO is 1 Bq.l-1 (Reference [11]).
NOTE The guidance level is the activity concentration (rounded to the nearest order of magnitude) with an intake of 2
l.day-1 of drinking water for 1 year that results in an effective dose of 0,1 mSv.year-1 for members of the public, an
effective dose that represents a very low level of risk that is not expected to give rise to any detectable advers health
effect.
This International Standard is one of a series on determination of the activity concentration of radionuclides in
water samples.
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/DIS 13165-3

Water quality — Radium 226 — Part 3: Test method using co-
precipitation and gamma spectrometry
WARNING — Persons using this International Standard should be familiar with normal laboratory
practice. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with
its use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to
ensure compliance with any national regulatory conditions.
IMPORTANT — It is absolutely essential that tests conducted in accordance with this International
Standard be carried out by suitably qualified staff.
1 Scope
This part of ISO 13165 specifies the determination of radium-226 ( Ra) activity concentration in all types of
water by gamma spectrometry.
The method described is suitable for determination of soluble Ra activity concentrations greater
-1
than 0,02 Bq l in all types of water.
223 224 228
NOTE This method also allows other natural isotopes of radium ( Ra, Ra and Ra) to be determined.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 921:1997, Nuclear energy — Vocabulary
ISO 5667-3, Water quality — Sampling — Part 3: Guidance on the preservation and handling of samples
ISO 80000-10, Quantities and units — Part 10: Atomic and nuclear physics
ISO 10703: 2007, Water quality — Determination of the activity concentration of radionuclides — Method by
high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry
ISO 11929, Determination of the characteristics limits (decision threshold, detection limit and limits of the
confidence interval) for ionizing radiation — Fundamentals and application
ISO/CEI 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purpose of this document, the terms and definitions defined in the different parts of ISO 80000-10, and
the following apply.
ISO/DIS 13165-2
3.1.1
activity
number of spontaneous nuclear disintegrations occurring in a given quantity of material during a suitably small
interval of time divided by that interval of time
[SOURCE: ISO 921:1997, 23]
...

NORME ISO
INTERNATIONALE 13165-3
Première édition
2016-03-01
Qualité de l’eau — Radium 226 —
Partie 3:
Méthode d’essai par coprécipitation et
spectrométrie gamma
Water quality — Radium-226 —
Part 3: Test method using coprecipitation and gamma-spectrometry
Numéro de référence
©
ISO 2016
DOCUMENT PROTÉGÉ PAR COPYRIGHT
© ISO 2016, Publié en Suisse
Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite ni utilisée
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l’adresse ci-après ou au comité membre de l’ISO dans le pays du demandeur.
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Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.iso.org
ii © ISO 2016 – Tous droits réservés

Sommaire Page
Avant-propos .iv
Introduction .v
1 Domaine d’application . 1
2 Références normatives . 1
3 Termes et définitions . 2
4 Symboles . 2
5 Principe du mesurage . 3
6 Réactifs et équipement . 3
6.1 Réactifs . 3
6.2 Équipements . 4
7 Échantillonnage . 4
7.1 Prélèvement des échantillons . 4
7.2 Transport et conservation des échantillons . 4
8 Modes opératoires . 5
8.1 Préparation d’un blanc . 5
8.2 Préparation de l’échantillon . 5
8.3 Mode opératoire de comptage . 5
9 Programme d’assurance qualité et de contrôle de la qualité . 6
9.1 Généralités . 6
9.2 Grandeurs d’influence. 6
9.3 Vérification des instruments . 6
9.4 Vérification de la méthode . 6
9.5 Démonstration de l’aptitude de l’analyste . 7
10 Expression des résultats. 7
10.1 Généralités . 7
10.2 Activité volumique du Ra soluble dans l’eau . 7
10.3 Incertitude-type de l’activité volumique . 8
10.4 Seuil de décision . 8
10.5 Limite de détection . 8
10.6 Limites de l’intervalle de confiance . 8
10.7 Corrections relatives aux contributions d’autres radionucléides et au bruit de fond . 9
10.7.1 Généralités . 9
10.7.2 Contribution des autres radionucléides . 9
10.7.3 Contribution du bruit de fond .10
11 Expression des résultats.11
Annexe A (informative) L’uranium et sa chaîne de désintégration .12
Bibliographie .14
Avant-propos
L’ISO (Organisation internationale de normalisation) est une fédération mondiale d’organismes
nationaux de normalisation (comités membres de l’ISO). L’élaboration des Normes internationales est
en général confiée aux comités techniques de l’ISO. Chaque comité membre intéressé par une étude
a le droit de faire partie du comité technique créé à cet effet. Les organisations internationales,
gouvernementales et non gouvernementales, en liaison avec l’ISO participent également aux travaux.
L’ISO collabore étroitement avec la Commission électrotechnique internationale (IEC) en ce qui
concerne la normalisation électrotechnique.
Les procédures utilisées pour élaborer le présent document et celles destinées à sa mise à jour sont
décrites dans les Directives ISO/IEC, Partie 1. Il convient, en particulier de prendre note des différents
critères d’approbation requis pour les différents types de documents ISO. Le présent document a été
rédigé conformément aux règles de rédaction données dans les Directives ISO/IEC, Partie 2 (voir www.
iso.org/directives).
L’attention est appelée sur le fait que certains des éléments du présent document peuvent faire l’objet de
droits de propriété intellectuelle ou de droits analogues. L’ISO ne saurait être tenue pour responsable
de ne pas avoir identifié de tels droits de propriété et averti de leur existence. Les détails concernant
les références aux droits de propriété intellectuelle ou autres droits analogues identifiés lors de
l’élaboration du document sont indiqués dans l’Introduction et/ou dans la liste des déclarations de
brevets reçues par l’ISO (voir www.iso.org/brevets).
Les appellations commerciales éventuellement mentionnées dans le présent document sont données
pour information, par souci de commodité à l’intention des utilisateurs et ne sauraient constituer un
engagement.
Pour une explication de la signification des termes et expressions spécifiques de l’ISO liés à l’évaluation
de la conformité, ou pour toute information au sujet de l’adhésion de l’ISO aux principes de l’Organisation
mondiale du commerce (OMC) concernant les obstacles techniques au commerce (OTC) voir le lien
suivant: www.iso.org/iso/fr/foreword.html.
Le comité chargé de l’élaboration du présent document est l’ISO/TC 147, Qualité de l’eau, sous-
comité SC 3, Mesurages de la radioactivité.
L’ISO 13165 comprend les parties suivantes, présentées sous le titre général Qualité de l’eau —
Radium 226:
— Partie 1: Méthode d’essai par comptage des scintillations en milieu liquide
— Partie 2: Méthode d’essai par émanométrie
— Partie 3: Méthode d’essai par coprécipitation et spectrométrie gamma
iv © ISO 2016 – Tous droits réservés

Introduction
La radioactivité, naturelle ou engendrée par l’homme, est présente partout dans l’environnement. Il est
donc possible de retrouver dans l’eau (eaux de surface et souterraines, eau de mer), des radionucléides
d’origine naturelle ou artificielle (c’est-à-dire engendrée par l’homme):
Les radionucléides naturels, y compris le potassium 40, et ceux des chaînes de désintégration du
thorium et de l’uranium, notamment le radium 226, le radium 228, l’uranium 234, l’uranium 238 et
le plomb 210, peuvent se trouver dans l’eau pour des raisons naturelles (par exemple, désorption par
le sol et lessivage par les eaux pluviales) ou ils peuvent être libérés par des processus technologiques
impliquant des matériaux radioactifs existant à l’état naturel (par exemple, extraction minière et
traitement de sables minéraux ou production et utilisation d’engrais phosphatés).
Les radionucléides engendrés par l’activité humaine, tels que les éléments transuraniens (américium,
plutonium, neptunium, curium), le tritium, le carbone 14, le strontium 90 et certains radionucléides
émetteurs gamma peuvent aussi se trouver dans les eaux naturelles suite à leur libération périodique
dans l’environnement autorisée en faibles quantités dans l’effluent déversé par les installations
concernant le cycle du combustible nucléaire. Ils sont également libérés dans l’environnement suite à
leur utilisation sous une forme non scellée dans des applications industrielles et de médecine nucléaire.
Il est également possible de les retrouver dans l’eau à la suite d’une contamination passée due aux
retombées de l’explosion dans l’atmosphère d’engins nucléaires et d’accidents nucléaires tels que ceux
qui se sont produits à Tchernobyl et Fukushima.
L’eau potable peut alors contenir des radionucléides dans des valeurs d’activité volumique représentant
potentiellement un risque sanitaire pour l’homme. Afin d’évaluer la qualité de l’eau potable (y compris
les eaux minérales et les eaux de source) en ce qui concerne sa teneur en radionucléides, et pour émettre
des avis dans le but de réduire ces activités volumiques et les risques sanitaires qui y sont liés, la teneur
en radionucléides des ressources en eau (nappes phréatiques, rivières, lacs, mers, etc.), ainsi que l’eau
destinée à la consommation, est contrôlée selon les recommandations de l’Organisation mondiale de la
santé (OMS) et ce contrôle peut être exigé par certaines autorités nationales.
La nécessité d’une Norme internationale sur une méthode d’essai des activités volumiques du radium 226
dans les échantillons d’eau est justifiée pour les laboratoires d’essais qui procèdent à ces mesurages.
Elle est parfois rendue obligatoire par les autorités locales pour l’obtention d’une accréditation à des
mesurages de radionucléides dans les échantillons d’eau potable.
L’activité volumique du radium 226 peut varier grandement selon la géologie et le climat local et se situe
−1 −1
entre 0,001 Bq·l dans les eaux de surface et 50 Bq·l dans les eaux souterraines naturelles. La limite
−1 [13]
recommandée par l’OMS pour le radium 226 dans l’eau potable est de 1 Bq·l (voir Référence ).
NOTE La limite recommandée pour un individu moyen correspond à l’activité volumique d’une prise de 2 l
d’eau potable par jour pendant une année, soit une dose effective de 0,1 mSv/an, ce qui représente un très faible
niveau de risque d’engendrer des effets sanitaires suffisamment néfastes pour être détectés.
La présente Norme internationale fait partie d’une série de Normes internationales relatives aux
méthodes d’essai qui traitent du mesurage de l’activité volumique des radionucléides dans des
échantillons d’eau.
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