Measurement of radioactivity - Alpha-, beta- and photon emitting radionuclides - Reference measurement standard specifications for the calibration of surface contamination monitors (ISO 8769:2020)

This document specifies the characteristics of reference measurement standards of radioactive surface contamination, traceable to national measurement standards, for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. This document relates to alpha-emitters, beta-emitters, and photon emitters of maximum photon energy not greater than 1,5 MeV.
It does not describe the procedures involved in the use of these reference measurement standards for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. Such procedures are specified in IEC 60325[6], IEC 62363[7], and other documents.
NOTE    Since some of the proposed photon standards include filters, the photon standards are to be regarded as reference measurement standards of photons of a particular energy range and not as reference measurement standards of a particular radionuclide. For example, a 241Am source with the recommended filtration does not emit from the surface the alpha particles or characteristic low-energy L X-ray photons associated with the decay of the nuclide. It is designed to be a reference measurement standard that emits photons with an average energy of approximately 60 keV.
This document also specifies preferred reference radiations for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. These reference radiations are realized in the form of adequately characterized large area sources specified, without exception, in terms of surface emission rate and activity which are traceable to national standards.

Bestimmung der Radioaktivität - Alpha-, Beta- und Photonenstrahlung emittierende Radionuklide - Spezifikation von Bezugsnormalen für die Kalibrierung von Oberflächenkontaminationsmonitoren (ISO 8769:2020)

Dieses Dokument spezifiziert, rückführbar auf nationale Messnormale, Eigenschaften von Bezugsnormalen für radioaktive Oberflächenkontamination zum Zweck der Kalibrierung von Oberflächenkontaminations¬moni¬toren. Dieses Dokument gilt für Alphastrahler, Betastrahler und Photonenstrahler mit maximalen Photonen¬energien nicht größer als 1,5 MeV.
Es beschreibt nicht die Verfahren für die Anwendung dieser Bezugsnormale für die Kalibrierung von Oberflä¬chenkontaminationsmonitoren. Derartige Verfahren sind in IEC 60325 [6], IEC 62363 [7] und anderen Doku¬menten beschrieben.
ANMERKUNG   Da einige der vorgeschlagenen Photonennormale Filter beinhalten, sind diese Normale als Bezugs¬nor¬male für Photonenstrahlung mit einem bestimmten Energiebereich anzusehen und nicht als Bezugsnormale eines be¬stimmten Radionuklids. Zum Beispiel emittiert eine 241Am-Quelle mit der empfohlenen Filterung aus der Oberfläche weder die Alphateilchen noch die charakteristische, niederenergetische L-Schalen-Röntgenstrahlung, die mit dem Zerfall des Radionuklids verbunden sind. Sie wurde entwickelt, um ein Bezugsnormal zu erhalten, das Photonen mit einer mittle¬ren Energie von angenähert 60 keV emittiert.
Dieses Dokument spezifiziert auch die für die Kalibrierung von Oberflächenkontaminationsmonitoren bevor¬zugten Bezugsstrahlungen. Diese Bezugsstrahlungen sind als geeignet charakterisierte große Flächenquel¬len realisiert und ohne Ausnahme in Einheiten der Oberflächenemissionsrate und -aktivität spezifiziert, die auf nationale Normale rückführbar sind.

Mesurage de la radioactivité - Radionucléides émetteurs alpha, bêta et photoniques - Spécifications des étalons de référence pour l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de contamination de surface (ISO 8769:2020)

Le présent document spécifie les caractéristiques d'étalons de référence de contamination de surface radioactive, traçables par rapport à des étalons nationaux de mesurage, permettant l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de contamination de surface. Le présent document se rapporte aux émetteurs alpha, aux émetteurs bêta et aux émetteurs de photons dont l'énergie photonique maximale est inférieure ou égale à 1,5 MeV.
Il ne décrit pas les modes opératoires qu'implique l'utilisation de ces étalons de référence pour l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de contamination de surface. Ces modes opératoires sont spécifiés dans l'IEC 60325[6], l'IEC 62363[7] ainsi que dans d'autres documents.
NOTE       Étant donné que certains des étalons photoniques proposés sont équipés de filtres, ces étalons sont destinés à être considérés comme des étalons de référence de photons d'une gamme d'énergie particulière, et non comme des étalons de référence d'un radionucléide particulier. Par exemple, un étalon de référence de 241Am muni du filtre recommandé n'émet pas, de la surface, les particules alpha ou les photons X de basse énergie, L, associés à la désintégration radioactive du radionucléide. Il est conçu pour être un étalon de référence émettant des photons ayant une énergie moyenne d'environ 60 keV.
Le présent document spécifie également des rayonnements de référence préférés pour l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de contamination de surface. Ces rayonnements de référence sont réalisés sous la forme d'étalons de référence de grande surface convenablement spécifiés et caractérisés, sans exception, en termes de taux d'émission surfaciques et activité traçables par rapport à des étalons nationaux.

Merjenje radioaktivnosti - Radionuklidi, ki oddajajo alfa in beta žarke ter fotone - Specifikacije referenčnega merilnega standarda za kalibracijo merilnikov površinske kontaminacije (ISO 8769:2020)

Ta dokument določa karakteristike referenčnih merilnih standardov radioaktivne površinske kontaminacije, izsledljive v nacionalnih merilnih standardih, za kalibracijo merilnikov površinske kontaminacije. Navezuje se na alfa in beta oddajnike ter fotonske oddajnike, katerih največja fotonska energija ne presega 1,5 MeV.
Ne opisuje postopkov v zvezi z uporabo teh referenčnih merilnih standardov za kalibracijo merilnikov površinske kontaminacije. Takšni postopki so določeni v standardih IEC 60325[6] in IEC 62363[7] ter drugih dokumentih.
OPOMBA: Nekateri od predlaganih fotonskih standardov vključujejo filtre, zato je treba fotonske standarde obravnavati kot referenčne merilne standarde fotonov z določenim razponom energije in ne kot referenčne merilne standarde določenega radionuklida. Vir Am-241 s priporočeno filtracijo na primer s površine ne oddaja alfa delcev ali značilnih nizkoenergijskih rentgenskih fotonov L, povezanih z razpadom nuklida. Zasnovan je kot referenčni merilni standard, ki oddaja fotone s povprečno energijo približno 60 keV.
Ta dokument določa tudi prednostno referenčno sevanje za kalibracijo merilnikov površinske kontaminacije. To referenčno sevanje se izvaja v obliki ustrezno opredeljenih velikih virov, ki so brez izjeme določeni z vidika stopnje površinskega sevanja in aktivnosti, izsledljivih v nacionalnih standardih.

General Information

Status
Published
Public Enquiry End Date
15-Nov-2022
Publication Date
23-Jan-2023
Technical Committee
Current Stage
6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
Start Date
04-Jan-2023
Due Date
11-Mar-2023
Completion Date
24-Jan-2023

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Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
01-marec-2023
Merjenje radioaktivnosti - Radionuklidi, ki oddajajo alfa in beta žarke ter fotone -
Specifikacije referenčnega merilnega standarda za kalibracijo merilnikov
površinske kontaminacije (ISO 8769:2020)
Measurement of radioactivity - Alpha-, beta- and photon emitting radionuclides -
Reference measurement standard specifications for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors (ISO 8769:2020)
Bestimmung der Radioaktivität - Alpha-, Beta- und Photonenstrahlung emittierende
Radionuklide - Spezifikation von Bezugsnormalen für die Kalibrierung von
Oberflächenkontaminationsmonitoren (ISO 8769:2020)
Mesurage de la radioactivité - Radionucléides émetteurs alpha, bêta et photoniques -
Spécifications des étalons de référence pour l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de
contamination de surface (ISO 8769:2020)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 8769:2022
ICS:
17.240 Merjenje sevanja Radiation measurements
SIST EN ISO 8769:2023 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023


EN ISO 8769
EUROPEAN STANDARD

NORME EUROPÉENNE

December 2022
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 17.240
English Version

Measurement of radioactivity - Alpha-, beta- and photon
emitting radionuclides - Reference measurement standard
specifications for the calibration of surface contamination
monitors (ISO 8769:2020)
Mesurage de la radioactivité - Radionucléides Bestimmung der Radioaktivität - Alpha-, Beta- und
émetteurs alpha, bêta et photoniques - Spécifications Photonenstrahlung emittierende Radionuklide -
des étalons de référence pour l'étalonnage des Spezifikation von Bezugsnormalen für die Kalibrierung
contrôleurs de contamination de surface (ISO von Oberflächenkontaminationsmonitoren (ISO
8769:2020) 8769:2020)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 18 December 2022.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.





EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2022 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 8769:2022 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
EN ISO 8769:2022 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3

2

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
EN ISO 8769:2022 (E)
European foreword
The text of ISO 8769:2020 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 85 "Nuclear energy,
nuclear technologies, and radiological protection” of the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 8769:2022 by Technical Committee CEN/TC 430 “Nuclear
energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection” the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2023, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by June 2023.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 8769:2020 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 8769:2022 without any modification.


3

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 8769
Fourth edition
2020-06
Measurement of radioactivity —
Alpha-, beta- and photon emitting
radionuclides — Reference
measurement standard specifications
for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors
Mesurage de la radioactivité — Radionucléides émetteurs alpha,
bêta et photoniques — Spécifications des étalons de référence pour
l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de contamination de surface
Reference number
ISO 8769:2020(E)
©
ISO 2020

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
ISO 8769:2020(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, 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
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
ISO 8769:2020(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Traceability of reference measurement standards . 2
5 Specification of reference measurement standards. 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Class 1 reference measurement standards . 4
5.2.1 General requirements . 4
5.2.2 Activity and surface emission rate . 5
5.2.3 Uniformity . 6
5.2.4 Radionuclides . 6
5.3 Class 2 reference measurement standards . 8
5.3.1 General requirements . 8
5.3.2 Activity and surface emission rate . 8
5.3.3 Uniformity . 8
5.3.4 Radionuclides . 9
5.4 Working measurement standard . 9
5.4.1 General requirements . 9
5.4.2 Activity and surface emission rate . 9
5.4.3 Uniformity . 9
5.4.4 Radionuclides . 9
6 Transfer measurement devices.10
6.1 Transfer measurement device for alpha-radiation and beta-radiation .10
6.2 Transfer measurement device for photon-radiation.10
6.3 Calibration .10
Annex A (informative) Particular considerations for reference measurement standards
emitting electrons of energy less than 0,15 MeV and photons of energy less than
1,5 MeV .11
Bibliography .13
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved iii

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
ISO 8769:2020(E)

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.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy, Subcommittee SC 2,
Radiological protection.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 8769:2016), which has been technically
revised. The changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— In order to maintain consistency with terms described in the International Vocabulary of Metrology
[16]
or ISO/IEC 17025 , “reference measurement standard”, “working measurement standard” and
“transfer measurement device” were adopted respectively instead of a “reference source”, “working
source” and “reference transfer instrument”.
— 5.1 b): “a surface layer of thickness equal to the saturation layer thickness” was modified to “a
surface layer of thickness equal to or less than the saturation layer thickness”.
— 5.2.3 and 5.3.3: The statement of “minus its relative standard uncertainty” was removed.
— 5.4.3: Requirement for the re-measurement of uniformity was added as follows; “In case that
significant change not due to half-life is found on the re-calibration of surface emission rate, re-
measurement of uniformity is required.”
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
ISO 8769:2020(E)

Introduction
Radioactive contamination of surfaces can result from spilling, splashing, or leakage from unsealed
sources, or breakage or loss of integrity of sealed sources. It can lead to the spread of contamination,
loss of quality control and can give rise to the following health hazards:
a) external exposure to parts of the body in proximity to the contaminated surface;
b) internal exposure through incorporation of radioactive material emanating from the surface.
The need for effective monitoring of surface contamination has long been recognized, see Reference [1].
Surface contamination is quantified in terms of activity per unit area, the quantity which is normally
used to specify “derived limits”, i.e. maximum limits of surface contamination. These limits are
based on radiological protection considerations and have been derived from the dose equivalent or
intake limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), see
References [2] and [3]. Derived limits are incorporated into numerous national and international
regulatory documents which relate specifically to surface contamination monitoring.
The requirement for this document originated from the need for calibration measurement standards in
International Standards dealing with the calibration of surface contamination monitors.
While regulatory documents refer to surface contamination in terms of activity per unit area, the
response of monitoring instruments is related directly to the radiation emitted from the surface
rather than to the activity contained upon or within the surface. Due to variations in the absorptive
and scattering properties of real surfaces, it cannot be assumed, in general, that there is a simple,
known relationship between surface emission rate and activity. Thus, there emerges a clear need for
calibration measurement standards that are specified primarily in terms of surface emission rate, as
well as activity. The manner in which these standards are used and the associated calibration protocols
[4]
vary from country to country .
Calibration of an instrument in terms of activity for the types of surfaces that are usually encountered
in monitoring situations depends on the following considerations:
— mixture and ratios of radionuclides being monitored;
— their types and abundances of emissions;
— nature of the surface;
— depths and distribution profiles within the surface;
— spectral attenuation dependence of the instrument entrance window;
— distance between the instrument entrance window and the surface.
The derivation of appropriate calibration factors in terms of activity is therefore a highly complex
process which is outside the scope of this document. Appropriate guidance on this process is addressed
[5]
in ISO 7503 (all parts) . However, some estimate of the activity of the calibration measurement
standard is required for general radiological safety purposes such as handling, leak testing, shielding,
packaging, and transport. This is a generic issue for all radioactive sources regardless of their intended
use and is not therefore addressed specifically in this document.
Traceability of calibration measurement standards to International Standards or national standards is
established by a system of reference transfer instruments.
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved v

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 8769:2020(E)
Measurement of radioactivity — Alpha-, beta- and photon
emitting radionuclides — Reference measurement
standard specifications for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors
1 Scope
This document specifies the characteristics of reference measurement standards of radioactive
surface contamination, traceable to national measurement standards, for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors. This document relates to alpha-emitters, beta-emitters, and photon emitters
of maximum photon energy not greater than 1,5 MeV.
It does not describe the procedures involved in the use of these reference measurement standards
[6]
for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. Such procedures are specified in IEC 60325 ,
[7]
IEC 62363 , and other documents.
NOTE Since some of the proposed photon standards include filters, the photon standards are to be regarded
as reference measurement standards of photons of a particular energy range and not as reference measurement
241
standards of a particular radionuclide. For example, a Am source with the recommended filtration does not
emit from the surface the alpha particles or characteristic low-energy L X-ray photons associated with the decay
of the nuclide. It is designed to be a reference measurement standard that emits photons with an average energy
of approximately 60 keV.
This document also specifies preferred reference radiations for the calibration of surface contamination
monitors. These reference radiations are realized in the form of adequately characterized large area
sources specified, without exception, in terms of surface emission rate and activity which are traceable
to national standards.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements 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 12749-2, Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection — Vocabulary — Part 2:
Radiological protection
IEC 60050-395, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary — Part 395: Nuclear instrumentation: Physical
phenomena, basic concepts, instruments, systems, equipment and detectors
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 12749-2, IEC 60050-395, and
the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved 1

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
ISO 8769:2020(E)

3.1
surface emission rate
number of particles or photons of a given type above a given energy emerging from the
face of the source or its window per second in a mass-free environment
3.2
face
vertical projection of the nominal active area onto the front surface of the source
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
Key
1 filter
2 backing
3 face
4 nominal active area
Figure 1 — Cross-sectional drawing of a reference measurement standard with its filter
3.3
saturation layer thickness
thickness of the medium equal to the
maximum range of the specified particulate radiation
3.4
instrument efficiency
ratio between the instrument net reading (counts per second after background subtraction) and the
surface emission rate of the reference measurement standard (particles emitted per second) in a
specified geometry relative to a standard
Note 1 to entry: The instrument efficiency depends on the energy of the radiation emitted by the standard, the
area of the standard, and the area of the detector entrance window.
3.5
self-absorption
absorption of radiation which occurs within the material of the source itself
3.6
uncertainty
standard uncertainty (k = 1) unless otherwise stated
[8]
Note 1 to entry: The treatment of uncertainties is in accordance with the ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 to the expression
of uncertainty in measurement.
3.7
uniformity
indication of the lack of variation of that property over
the surface
4 Traceability of reference measurement standards
The following scheme is proposed to ensure that working standards used in the field for the routine
calibration of surface contamination monitors shall be related to national measurement standards
2 © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 8769:2023
ISO 8769:2020(E)

through a clearly defined traceability chain using reference measurement standards and reference
transfer measurement devices.
Reference measurement standards shall be of the following two types:
— Class 1: reference measurement standards that have been calibrated directly in terms of activity
and surface emission rate at a national or international metrology institute.
— Class 2: reference measurement standards that have been calibrated in terms of surface emission
rate on a reference transfer instrument, the efficiency of which has been measured by calibration
with a Class 1 reference measurement standard of the same radionuclide and of the same general
[16]
construction using the same geometry, at a laboratory that operates according to ISO/IEC 17025
for such measurements.
National metrology institutes shall, at their discretion, provide the means whereby Class 1 reference
measurement standards of a specified range of radionuclides may be certified by them. For those
[9]
countries which are signatories to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) , a certificate of
calibration from another participating institute in a second country is recognized as valid in the
first country for the quantities, ranges, and measurement uncertainties specified in Appendix C of
Reference [9].
The activity and surface emission rate of Class 1 reference measurement standards shall be measured,
using, for example, a windowless gas-flow proportional detector, or by using an instrument that has
been calibrated using standards that have been measured absolutely. Calibration procedures for
activity determination are discussed for example, in References [10], [11], [12] and [13].
Organizations with a requirement to type test and to calibrate instruments to be used for monitoring
radioactive surface contamination need to have access to suitable Class 1 or Class 2 reference
measurement standards. The purpose of a working measurement standard is to check the calibration
of surface contamination monitors in the field; they are not to be confused with check sources, which
are only intended to verify that a monitor is operating.
Organizations with a requirement to provide working measurement standards for the routine
confirmation of the calibration of their surface contamination monitoring instruments require access to
a reference transfer measurement device with which to calibrate such working measurement standards
in terms of surface emission rate against a Class 1 or Class 2 reference measurement standard. Where
the working measurement standard is used either in a jig or under a particular geometry, the reference
transfer measurement device on which its emission rate is measured shall have been calibrated using a
reference measurement standard under identical conditions and geometry. Alternatively, the working
measurement standard shall be removable from the jig so that it can be measured in the usual way.
Where only a few monitors need calibration or a high degree of accuracy is required, Class 1 or Class 2
reference measurement standards may be used as working measurement standards. In such cases, the
frequency of re-calibration shall be that for working measurement standards. National regulations may
require more frequent calibrations.
5 Specification of reference measurement standards
5.1 General
Reference measurement standards are of the following kinds:
a) Sources comprising an electrically conducting backing material with a given radionuclide
permanently deposited upon or incorporated into one side only; the thickness of the backing material
shall be sufficient to prevent emission of the particulate radiation through the back of the source.
or
b) Sources comprising a layer of material within which the radionuclide is uniformly distributed
and the thickness of which shall not exceed the thickness of the saturation layer of the particulate
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved 3

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ISO 8769:2020(E)

radiation. For the purposes of this document, the activity of the source shall be taken as the activity
contained within a surface layer of thickness equal to or less than the saturation layer thickness.
Photon-emitting sources shall incorporate filters in accordance with Table 1.
To measure the surface emission rate directly, a threshold corresponding to a minimum energy shall to
be set. For beta counting, it shall be set to correspond to a photon energy of 590 eV (0,1 times the energy
55
of the X -radiation of Mn following the decay of Fe). For alpha counting, the threshold shall be set just
K
above the electronic noise of the system. For photon counting, the threshold shall be set to comprise the
photon peak and the whole Compton continuum.
With alpha-emitters and low-energy beta-emitters, self-absorption can be far from negligible. This
leads to a degradation of the emission spectrum and might affect measurements with windowed
transfer measurement devices.
Reference measurement standards shall be fit for purpose and it shall be the responsibility of the
manufacturer to determine and report the radioactive impurities to the extent necessary to ensure
that the use of the standard is not compromised by emissions from any impurity. As a minimum, all
radioactive impurities with an activity of at least 1 % of the activity of the principal radionuclide shall
be determined and re
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022
01-oktober-2022
Merjenje radioaktivnosti - Radionuklidi, ki oddajajo alfa in beta žarke ter fotone -
Specifikacije referenčnega merilnega standarda za kalibracijo merilnikov
površinske kontaminacije (ISO 8769:2020)
Measurement of radioactivity - Alpha-, beta- and photon emitting radionuclides -
Reference measurement standard specifications for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors (ISO 8769:2020)
Mesurage de la radioactivité - Radionucléides émetteurs alpha, bêta et photoniques -
Spécifications des étalons de référence pour l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de
contamination de surface (ISO 8769:2020)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 8769
ICS:
17.240 Merjenje sevanja Radiation measurements
oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022

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oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 8769
Fourth edition
2020-06
Measurement of radioactivity —
Alpha-, beta- and photon emitting
radionuclides — Reference
measurement standard specifications
for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors
Mesurage de la radioactivité — Radionucléides émetteurs alpha,
bêta et photoniques — Spécifications des étalons de référence pour
l'étalonnage des contrôleurs de contamination de surface
Reference number
ISO 8769:2020(E)
©
ISO 2020

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oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022
ISO 8769:2020(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, 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
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

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oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022
ISO 8769:2020(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Traceability of reference measurement standards . 2
5 Specification of reference measurement standards. 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Class 1 reference measurement standards . 4
5.2.1 General requirements . 4
5.2.2 Activity and surface emission rate . 5
5.2.3 Uniformity . 6
5.2.4 Radionuclides . 6
5.3 Class 2 reference measurement standards . 8
5.3.1 General requirements . 8
5.3.2 Activity and surface emission rate . 8
5.3.3 Uniformity . 8
5.3.4 Radionuclides . 9
5.4 Working measurement standard . 9
5.4.1 General requirements . 9
5.4.2 Activity and surface emission rate . 9
5.4.3 Uniformity . 9
5.4.4 Radionuclides . 9
6 Transfer measurement devices.10
6.1 Transfer measurement device for alpha-radiation and beta-radiation .10
6.2 Transfer measurement device for photon-radiation.10
6.3 Calibration .10
Annex A (informative) Particular considerations for reference measurement standards
emitting electrons of energy less than 0,15 MeV and photons of energy less than
1,5 MeV .11
Bibliography .13
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ISO 8769:2020(E)

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.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy, Subcommittee SC 2,
Radiological protection.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 8769:2016), which has been technically
revised. The changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— In order to maintain consistency with terms described in the International Vocabulary of Metrology
[16]
or ISO/IEC 17025 , “reference measurement standard”, “working measurement standard” and
“transfer measurement device” were adopted respectively instead of a “reference source”, “working
source” and “reference transfer instrument”.
— 5.1 b): “a surface layer of thickness equal to the saturation layer thickness” was modified to “a
surface layer of thickness equal to or less than the saturation layer thickness”.
— 5.2.3 and 5.3.3: The statement of “minus its relative standard uncertainty” was removed.
— 5.4.3: Requirement for the re-measurement of uniformity was added as follows; “In case that
significant change not due to half-life is found on the re-calibration of surface emission rate, re-
measurement of uniformity is required.”
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

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Introduction
Radioactive contamination of surfaces can result from spilling, splashing, or leakage from unsealed
sources, or breakage or loss of integrity of sealed sources. It can lead to the spread of contamination,
loss of quality control and can give rise to the following health hazards:
a) external exposure to parts of the body in proximity to the contaminated surface;
b) internal exposure through incorporation of radioactive material emanating from the surface.
The need for effective monitoring of surface contamination has long been recognized, see Reference [1].
Surface contamination is quantified in terms of activity per unit area, the quantity which is normally
used to specify “derived limits”, i.e. maximum limits of surface contamination. These limits are
based on radiological protection considerations and have been derived from the dose equivalent or
intake limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), see
References [2] and [3]. Derived limits are incorporated into numerous national and international
regulatory documents which relate specifically to surface contamination monitoring.
The requirement for this document originated from the need for calibration measurement standards in
International Standards dealing with the calibration of surface contamination monitors.
While regulatory documents refer to surface contamination in terms of activity per unit area, the
response of monitoring instruments is related directly to the radiation emitted from the surface
rather than to the activity contained upon or within the surface. Due to variations in the absorptive
and scattering properties of real surfaces, it cannot be assumed, in general, that there is a simple,
known relationship between surface emission rate and activity. Thus, there emerges a clear need for
calibration measurement standards that are specified primarily in terms of surface emission rate, as
well as activity. The manner in which these standards are used and the associated calibration protocols
[4]
vary from country to country .
Calibration of an instrument in terms of activity for the types of surfaces that are usually encountered
in monitoring situations depends on the following considerations:
— mixture and ratios of radionuclides being monitored;
— their types and abundances of emissions;
— nature of the surface;
— depths and distribution profiles within the surface;
— spectral attenuation dependence of the instrument entrance window;
— distance between the instrument entrance window and the surface.
The derivation of appropriate calibration factors in terms of activity is therefore a highly complex
process which is outside the scope of this document. Appropriate guidance on this process is addressed
[5]
in ISO 7503 (all parts) . However, some estimate of the activity of the calibration measurement
standard is required for general radiological safety purposes such as handling, leak testing, shielding,
packaging, and transport. This is a generic issue for all radioactive sources regardless of their intended
use and is not therefore addressed specifically in this document.
Traceability of calibration measurement standards to International Standards or national standards is
established by a system of reference transfer instruments.
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oSIST prEN ISO 8769:2022
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 8769:2020(E)
Measurement of radioactivity — Alpha-, beta- and photon
emitting radionuclides — Reference measurement
standard specifications for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors
1 Scope
This document specifies the characteristics of reference measurement standards of radioactive
surface contamination, traceable to national measurement standards, for the calibration of surface
contamination monitors. This document relates to alpha-emitters, beta-emitters, and photon emitters
of maximum photon energy not greater than 1,5 MeV.
It does not describe the procedures involved in the use of these reference measurement standards
[6]
for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. Such procedures are specified in IEC 60325 ,
[7]
IEC 62363 , and other documents.
NOTE Since some of the proposed photon standards include filters, the photon standards are to be regarded
as reference measurement standards of photons of a particular energy range and not as reference measurement
241
standards of a particular radionuclide. For example, a Am source with the recommended filtration does not
emit from the surface the alpha particles or characteristic low-energy L X-ray photons associated with the decay
of the nuclide. It is designed to be a reference measurement standard that emits photons with an average energy
of approximately 60 keV.
This document also specifies preferred reference radiations for the calibration of surface contamination
monitors. These reference radiations are realized in the form of adequately characterized large area
sources specified, without exception, in terms of surface emission rate and activity which are traceable
to national standards.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements 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 12749-2, Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection — Vocabulary — Part 2:
Radiological protection
IEC 60050-395, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary — Part 395: Nuclear instrumentation: Physical
phenomena, basic concepts, instruments, systems, equipment and detectors
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 12749-2, IEC 60050-395, and
the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
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3.1
surface emission rate
number of particles or photons of a given type above a given energy emerging from the
face of the source or its window per second in a mass-free environment
3.2
face
vertical projection of the nominal active area onto the front surface of the source
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
Key
1 filter
2 backing
3 face
4 nominal active area
Figure 1 — Cross-sectional drawing of a reference measurement standard with its filter
3.3
saturation layer thickness
thickness of the medium equal to the
maximum range of the specified particulate radiation
3.4
instrument efficiency
ratio between the instrument net reading (counts per second after background subtraction) and the
surface emission rate of the reference measurement standard (particles emitted per second) in a
specified geometry relative to a standard
Note 1 to entry: The instrument efficiency depends on the energy of the radiation emitted by the standard, the
area of the standard, and the area of the detector entrance window.
3.5
self-absorption
absorption of radiation which occurs within the material of the source itself
3.6
uncertainty
standard uncertainty (k = 1) unless otherwise stated
[8]
Note 1 to entry: The treatment of uncertainties is in accordance with the ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 to the expression
of uncertainty in measurement.
3.7
uniformity
indication of the lack of variation of that property over
the surface
4 Traceability of reference measurement standards
The following scheme is proposed to ensure that working standards used in the field for the routine
calibration of surface contamination monitors shall be related to national measurement standards
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through a clearly defined traceability chain using reference measurement standards and reference
transfer measurement devices.
Reference measurement standards shall be of the following two types:
— Class 1: reference measurement standards that have been calibrated directly in terms of activity
and surface emission rate at a national or international metrology institute.
— Class 2: reference measurement standards that have been calibrated in terms of surface emission
rate on a reference transfer instrument, the efficiency of which has been measured by calibration
with a Class 1 reference measurement standard of the same radionuclide and of the same general
[16]
construction using the same geometry, at a laboratory that operates according to ISO/IEC 17025
for such measurements.
National metrology institutes shall, at their discretion, provide the means whereby Class 1 reference
measurement standards of a specified range of radionuclides may be certified by them. For those
[9]
countries which are signatories to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) , a certificate of
calibration from another participating institute in a second country is recognized as valid in the
first country for the quantities, ranges, and measurement uncertainties specified in Appendix C of
Reference [9].
The activity and surface emission rate of Class 1 reference measurement standards shall be measured,
using, for example, a windowless gas-flow proportional detector, or by using an instrument that has
been calibrated using standards that have been measured absolutely. Calibration procedures for
activity determination are discussed for example, in References [10], [11], [12] and [13].
Organizations with a requirement to type test and to calibrate instruments to be used for monitoring
radioactive surface contamination need to have access to suitable Class 1 or Class 2 reference
measurement standards. The purpose of a working measurement standard is to check the calibration
of surface contamination monitors in the field; they are not to be confused with check sources, which
are only intended to verify that a monitor is operating.
Organizations with a requirement to provide working measurement standards for the routine
confirmation of the calibration of their surface contamination monitoring instruments require access to
a reference transfer measurement device with which to calibrate such working measurement standards
in terms of surface emission rate against a Class 1 or Class 2 reference measurement standard. Where
the working measurement standard is used either in a jig or under a particular geometry, the reference
transfer measurement device on which its emission rate is measured shall have been calibrated using a
reference measurement standard under identical conditions and geometry. Alternatively, the working
measurement standard shall be removable from the jig so that it can be measured in the usual way.
Where only a few monitors need calibration or a high degree of accuracy is required, Class 1 or Class 2
reference measurement standards may be used as working measurement standards. In such cases, the
frequency of re-calibration shall be that for working measurement standards. National regulations may
require more frequent calibrations.
5 Specification of reference measurement standards
5.1 General
Reference measurement standards are of the following kinds:
a) Sources comprising an electrically conducting backing material with a given radionuclide
permanently deposited upon or incorporated into one side only; the thickness of the backing material
shall be sufficient to prevent emission of the particulate radiation through the back of the source.
or
b) Sources comprising a layer of material within which the radionuclide is uniformly distributed
and the thickness of which shall not exceed the thickness of the saturation layer of the particulate
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radiation. For the purposes of this document, the activity of the source shall be taken as the activity
contained within a surface layer of thickness equal to or less than the saturation layer thickness.
Photon-emitting sources shall incorporate filters in accordance with Table 1.
To measure the surface emission rate directly, a threshold corresponding to a minimum energy shall to
be set. For beta counting, it shall be set to correspond to a photon energy of 590 eV (0,1 times the energy
55
of the X -radiation of Mn following the decay of Fe). For alpha counting, the threshold shall be set just
K
above the electronic noise of the system. For photon counting, the threshold shall be set to comprise the
photon peak and the whole Compton continuum.
With alpha-emitters and low-energy beta-emitters, self-absorption can be far from negligible. This
leads to a degradation of the emission spectrum and might affect measurements with windowed
transfer measurement devices.
Reference measurement standards shall be fit for purpose and it shall be the responsibility of the
manufacturer to determine and report the radioactive impurities to the extent necessary to ensure
that the use of the standard is not compromised by emissions from any impurity. As a minimum, all
radioactive impurities with an activity of at least 1 % of the activity of the principal radionuclide shall
be determined and reported.
For those standards which might contain radioactive impurities, users of the reference measurement
standard shall take into account that the relative activity of the impurity changes with time and could
produce a significant effect on the emission rate of the reference measurement standard.
Table 1 — Characteristics and additional filtration of photon-emitting standards
Approximate
mean photon
Half-life Filter
a Radionuclide Filter thickness
energy b
in days material
in keV
55 3
5,9 Fe 1,00 × 10 none
0,05 mm
238 4
16 Pu 3,20 × 10 zirconium
−2
32,5 mg·cm
0,3 mm
129 9
32 I 5,88 × 10 aluminium
−2
81 mg·cm
0,25 mm
241 5
60 Am 1,58 × 10 stainless steel
−2
200 mg·cm
0,25 mm
57
124 Co 272 stainless steel
−2
200 mg·cm
1 mm
137 4
660 Cs 1,10 × 10 stainless steel
−2
800 mg·cm
0,3 mm
60 3
1 250 Co 1,93 × 10 aluminium
−2
81 mg·cm
NOTE 1 These are standards of photons of a particular energy range and not standards of a particular radionuclide.
60
NOTE 2 In most cases, Co emits two coincident photons with an angular correlation between them. Great care shall be
taken when transferring the calibration to other energies or nuclides.
a
The approximate mean photon energy is equal to (∑n × E )/∑n where n is the number of photons emitted from the
i i i i
standard with energy E .
i
b
For this document, stainless steel is that which has the composition 72 % Fe, 18 % Cr, 10 % Ni.
5.2 Class 1 reference measurement standards
5.2.1 General requirements
In order to comply with the requirements specified in this document, Class 1 reference measurement
standards shall be plane ones comprising an electrically conducting backing material with radioactive
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material deposited upon or incorporated into one side in such a manner as to minimize source self-
absorption and to maintain electrical conductivity across the whole of the face of the source. The active
4 2
area shall be at least 10 mm ; recommended sizes are 100 mm × 100 mm, 100 mm × 150 mm, and
150 mm × 200 mm.
A Class 1 reference measurement standard is intended to approximate as closely as practicably possible
[6]
an ideal “thin” source (see IEC 60325 ) with respect to the activity itself. However, it is acknowledged
that with alpha-emitters and low-energy beta-emitters, self-absorption can be far from negligible.
Maintenance of electrical conductivity is necessary for the correct operation of windowless proportional
counters. The thickness of the backing material should be such as to minimize the contribution from
backscattered radiation, both particle and photon. The recommended backing material is aluminium
of 3 mm thickness (this thickness is sufficient to eliminate beta-particle emission through the back
106 106
of the source, with the exception of Ru/ Rh sources where the thickness would need to be
increased to 4,6 mm). The thickness of the backing material shall be within 10 % of the value detailed
in the certificate. The backing material should extend beyond the active area to such an extent that the
backscattering effect is uniform over the whole of the active area. It is recommended that the backing
material should extend at least 10 mm beyond the active area of the source.
A photon-emitting standard shall include the filtration specified in Table 1. The filter should normally
be an integral part of the source, it should not be removable. Their purpose is described in Annex A. The
area of the filter should be such that it extends for at least 10 mm beyond the active area of the source.
The thickness of the filter shall be within 10 % of the specified value in Table 1.
Standards shall be accompanied by a calibration certificate giving the following information:
a) radionuclide;
NOTE Half-life values and other current nuclear data values are provided by Reference [14].
b) source identification number;
c) surface emission rate and its uncertainty;
d) activity and its uncertainty;
e) impurities of an activity of at least 1 % of the principal radionuclide activity;
f) reference date [shall be identical for c), d) and e)];
g) active area: its location and size;
h) nature, thickness, density, and dimensions of substrate;
i) nature, thickness, density, and dimensions of filter (if any);
j) uniformity and uncertainty (table of relative emission rates of all individual portions relating
position and emission rate);
k) class of standard.
Manufacturers may decide to give further information of help to the user, such as the depth of the active
l
...

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