SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021

Measurement of radioactivity in the environment - Soil - Part 5: Strontium 90 - Test method using proportional counting or liquid scintillation counting (ISO 18589-5:2019)

This document describes the principles for the measurement of the activity of 90Sr in equilibrium with 90Y and 89Sr, pure beta emitting radionuclides, in soil samples. Different chemical separation methods are presented to produce strontium and yttrium sources, the activity of which is determined using proportional counters (PC) or liquid scintillation counters (LSC). 90Sr can be obtained from the test samples when the equilibrium between 90Sr and 90Y is reached or through direct 90Y measurement. The selection of the measuring method depends on the origin of the contamination, the characteristics of the soil to be analysed, the required accuracy of measurement and the resources of the available laboratories.
These methods are used for soil monitoring following discharges, whether past or present, accidental or routine, liquid or gaseous. It also covers the monitoring of contamination caused by global nuclear fallout.
In case of recent fallout immediately following a nuclear accident, the contribution of 89Sr to the total amount of strontium activity will not be negligible. This standard provides the measurement method to determine the activity of 90Sr in presence of 89Sr.
The test methods described in this document can also be used to measure the radionuclides in sludge, sediment, construction material and products by following proper sampling procedure.
Using samples sizes of 20 g and counting times of 1 000 min, detection limits of (0,1 to 0,5) Bq·kg-1 can be achievable for 90Sr using conventional and commercially available proportional counter or liquid scintillation counter when the presence of 89Sr can be neglected. If 89Sr is present in the test sample, detection limits of (1 to 2) Bq·kg-1 can be obtained for both 90Sr and 89Sr using the same sample size, counting time and proportional counter or liquid scintillation counter as in the previous situation.

Ermittlung der Radioaktivität in der Umwelt - Erdboden - Teil 5: Strontium-90 - Messverfahren mit Proportional- oder Flüssigszintillationszählung (ISO 18589-5:2019)

Dieses Dokument legt Verfahren für die Messung der Aktivität von 90Sr im Gleichgewicht mit 90Y und von 89Sr, reine BetastrahlerN1, in Bodenproben fest. Erläutert werden verschiedene chemische Trennverfahren für die Herstellung von Strontium- und Yttriumquellen, deren Aktivität mit Hilfe eines Proportionalzählers (PC, en: proportional counter) oder eines Flüssigszintillationszählers (LSC, en: liquid scintillation counter) bestimmt wird. 90Sr kann von Prüfproben erhalten werden, wenn das radioaktive Gleichgewicht zwischen 90Sr und 90Y erreicht ist, oder direkt durch eine 90Y-Messung. Die Auswahl des Messverfahrens hängt von der Kontamina¬tionsquelle, den Eigenschaften des zu analysierenden Bodens, der geforderten Messgenauigkeit und der Ausstattung der verfügbaren Labore ab.
Diese Verfahren dienen der Bodenüberwachung nach früheren oder aktuellen, unbeabsichtigten oder routi¬nemäßigen flüssigen oder gasförmigen Freisetzungen. Sie decken auch die Überwachung der durch globalen Fallout entstehenden Kontamination ab.
Im Falle eines neueren Fallouts unmittelbar nach einem nuklearen Störfall ist die Freisetzung von 89Sr im Verhältnis zur Gesamtmenge der Strontium-Aktivität nicht vernachlässigbar. Diese Norm beschreibt auch ein Messverfahren zur Bestimmung der Aktivität von 90Sr bei Vorhandensein von 89Sr.
Die in diesem Dokument beschriebenen Prüfverfahren können ebenfalls zur Messung von Radionukliden in Klärschlamm, Sediment, Baumaterialien und -produkten, die auf geeignete Probennahmeverfahren folgen, angewendet werden.
Werden eine Probengröße von 20 g und Messzeiten von 1 000 min verwendet, können Nachweisgrenzen für 90Sr von 0,1 Bq·kg–1 bis 0,5 Bq·kg–1 mit konventionellen und kommerziell erhältlichen Proportional- und Flüssigszintillationszählern erreicht werden, wenn die Gegenwart von 89Sr vernachlässigt werden kann. Ist 89Sr in der Prüfprobe vorhanden, können Nachweisgrenzen von 1 Bq·kg–1 bis 2 Bq·kg–1 für beide Radionuk¬lide, 90Sr und 89Sr, erreicht werden, wenn dieselbe Probengröße, Messzeit und Proportionalzähler oder Flüs¬sigszintillationszähler wie im vorherigen Fall verwendet wird.

Mesurage de la radioactivité dans l'environnement - Sol - Partie 5: Strontium 90 - Méthode d'essai par comptage proportionnel ou comptage par scintillation en milieu liquide (ISO 18589-5:2019)

Merjenje radioaktivnosti v okolju - Tla - 5. del: Stroncij 90 - Preskusna metoda z uporabo proporcionalnega štetja ali tekočega scintilacijskega štetja (ISO 18589-5:2019)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 23-Jun-2021
• Publication Date: 22-Aug-2021
• ICS: 13.080.01 - Soil quality and pedology in general
• ICS: 13.080.99 - Other standards related to soil quality
• ICS: 17.240 - Radiation measurements
• Technical Committee: I13 - Imaginarni 13
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 16-Aug-2021
• Due Date: 21-Oct-2021
• Completion Date: 23-Aug-2021
• Ref Project: EN ISO 18589-5:2021 - Measurement of radioactivity in the environment - Soil - Part 5: Strontium 90 - Test method using proportional counting or liquid scintillation counting (ISO 18589-5:2019)

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
01-oktober-2021
Merjenje radioaktivnosti v okolju - Tla - 5. del: Stroncij 90 - Preskusna metoda z
uporabo proporcionalnega štetja ali tekočega scintilacijskega štetja (ISO 18589-
5:2019)
Measurement of radioactivity in the environment - Soil - Part 5: Strontium 90 - Test
method using proportional counting or liquid scintillation counting (ISO 18589-5:2019)
Ermittlung der Radioaktivität in der Umwelt - Erdboden - Teil 5: Strontium-90 -
Messverfahren mit Proportional- oder Flüssigszintillationszählung (ISO 18589-5:2019)
Mesurage de la radioactivité dans l'environnement - Sol - Partie 5: Strontium 90 -
Méthode d'essai par comptage proportionnel ou comptage par scintillation en milieu
liquide (ISO 18589-5:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ICS:
13.080.99 Drugi standardi v zvezi s Other standards related to
kakovostjo tal soil quality
17.240 Merjenje sevanja Radiation measurements
SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021


EN ISO 18589-5
EUROPEAN STANDARD

NORME EUROPÉENNE

August 2021
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.080.01; 17.240
English Version

Measurement of radioactivity in the environment - Soil -
Part 5: Strontium 90 - Test method using proportional
counting or liquid scintillation counting (ISO 18589-
5:2019)
Mesurage de la radioactivité dans l'environnement - Ermittlung der Radioaktivität in der Umwelt -
Sol - Partie 5: Strontium 90 - Méthode d'essai par Erdboden - Teil 5: Strontium-90 - Messverfahren mit
comptage proportionnel ou comptage par scintillation Proportional- oder Flüssigszintillationszählung (ISO
en milieu liquide (ISO 18589-5:2019) 18589-5:2019)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 25 July 2021.

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, Turkey 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
© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 18589-5:2021 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
EN ISO 18589-5:2021 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3

2

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
EN ISO 18589-5:2021 (E)
European foreword
The text of ISO 18589-5:2019 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 18589-5:2021 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 February 2022, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by February 2022.
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, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 18589-5:2019 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 18589-5:2021 without any
modification.


3

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18589-5
Second edition
2019-12
Measurement of radioactivity in the
environment — Soil —
Part 5:
Strontium 90 — Test method using
proportional counting or liquid
scintillation counting
Mesurage de la radioactivité dans l'environnement — Sol —
Partie 5: Strontium 90 — Méthode d'essai par comptage
proportionnel et scintillation liquide
Reference number
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)
©
ISO 2019

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2019
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: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
3.1 Terms and definitions . 2
3.2 Symbols . 2
4 Principle . 3
4.1 General . 3
4.2 Chemical separation . 3
4.3 Detection . 4
4.3.1 General. 4
4.3.2 Source preparation for liquid scintillation counter . 4
4.3.3 Source preparation for proportional counter . 4
4.3.4 Background determination . 4
5 Chemical reagents and equipment . 5
6 Procedure of strontium desorption . 5
6.1 Principles . 5
6.2 Technical resources . 6
6.2.1 Equipment . 6
6.2.2 Chemical reagents . 6
6.3 Procedure . 6
7 Chemical separation procedure by precipitation . 7
7.1 Principles . 7
7.2 Technical resources . 7
7.2.1 Equipment . 7
7.2.2 Chemical reagents . 8
7.3 Procedure . 8
7.3.1 Separation of alkaline metals and calcium . 8
7.3.2 Separation of barium, radium and lead . 9
7.3.3 Separation of fission products and yttrium . 9
7.3.4 Strontium purification . 9
7.3.5 Yttrium extraction .10
7.3.6 Determination of the chemical yields .11
8 Chemical separation procedure by liquid-liquid extraction .11
8.1 Principle .11
8.2 Technical resources .12
8.2.1 Equipment .12
8.2.2 Chemical reagents .12
8.3 Procedure .13
8.3.1 General.13
8.3.2 Chemical separation of yttrium .13
8.3.3 Source preparation to be measured by PC .14
8.3.4 Source preparation to be measured by LSC .14
8.3.5 Determination of the chemical yields .14
9 Chemical separation procedure by chromatography (crown ether resin) .15
9.1 Principles .15
9.2 Technical resources .15
9.2.1 Equipment .15
9.2.2 Chemical reagents .15
9.3 Procedure .16
© ISO 2019 – All rights reserved iii

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

9.3.1 General.16
9.3.2 Chemical separation of the strontium .16
9.3.3 Determination of chemical yield .17
10 Measurement .17
10.1 General .17
10.2 Liquid scintillation counter .17
10.3 Gas flow proportional counter .17
10.4 Calculation of counting efficiency .18
11 Expression of results .18
11.1 General .18
90 90
11.2 Determination of Sr in equilibrium with Y .18
11.2.1 Calculation of the activity per unit of mass .18
11.2.2 Standard uncertainty .19
11.2.3 Decision threshold.19
11.2.4 Detection limit .19
90 90
11.3 Determination of Sr by the Y .19
11.3.1 Calculation of the activity per unit of mass .19
11.3.2 Standard uncertainty .20
11.3.3 Decision threshold.20
11.3.4 Detection limit .21
90 89 90 90
11.4 Determination of Sr in presence of Sr when Sr is in equilibrium with Y .21
11.4.1 Calculation of the activity per unit of mass .21
11.4.2 Standard uncertainty .22
11.4.3 Decision threshold.22
11.4.4 Detection limit .23
11.5 Confidence limits.23
12 Test report .23
Annex A (informative) Examples of evaluation models .25
Bibliography .32
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(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 voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy, Subcommittee SC 2,
Radiation protection.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 18589-5:2009), which has been
technically revised.
The main change compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— The introduction has been reviewed accordingly to the generic introduction adopted for the
standards published on the radioactivity measurement in the environment.
A list of all parts in the ISO 18589 series can be found on the ISO website.
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.
© ISO 2019 – All rights reserved v

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

Introduction
Everyone is exposed to natural radiation. The natural sources of radiation are cosmic rays and
naturally occurring radioactive substances which exist in the earth and flora and fauna, including the
human body. Human activities involving the use of radiation and radioactive substances add to the
radiation exposure from this natural exposure. Some of those activities, such as the mining and use
of ores containing naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and the production of energy
by burning coal that contains such substances, simply enhance the exposure from natural radiation
sources. Nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations use radioactive materials and produce
radioactive effluent and waste during operation and decommissioning. The use of radioactive materials
in industry, agriculture and research is expanding around the globe.
All these human activities give rise to radiation exposures that are only a small fraction of the global
average level of natural exposure. The medical use of radiation is the largest and a growing man-made
source of radiation exposure in developed countries. It includes diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy,
nuclear medicine and interventional radiology.
Radiation exposure also occurs as a result of occupational activities. It is incurred by workers in
industry, medicine and research using radiation or radioactive substances, as well as by passengers
and crew during air travel. The average level of occupational exposures is generally below the global
average level of natural radiation exposure (see Reference [1]).
As uses of radiation increase, so do the potential health risk and the public's concerns. Thus, all these
exposures are regularly assessed in order to:
— improve the understanding of global levels and temporal trends of public and worker exposure;
— evaluate the components of exposure so as to provide a measure of their relative importance;
— identify emerging issues that may warrant more attention and study. While doses to workers are
mostly directly measured, doses to the public are usually assessed by indirect methods using the
results of radioactivity measurements of waste, effluent and/or environmental samples.
To ensure that the data obtained from radioactivity monitoring programs support their intended use, it
is essential that the stakeholders (for example nuclear site operators, regulatory and local authorities)
agree on appropriate methods and procedures for obtaining representative samples and for handling,
storing, preparing and measuring the test samples. An assessment of the overall measurement
uncertainty also needs to be carried out systematically. As reliable, comparable and ‘fit for purpose’
data are an essential requirement for any public health decision based on radioactivity measurements,
international standards of tested and validated radionuclide test methods are an important tool for
the production of such measurement results. The application of standards serves also to guarantee
comparability of the test results over time and between different testing laboratories. Laboratories
apply them to demonstrate their technical competences and to complete proficiency tests successfully
during interlaboratory comparisons, two prerequisites for obtaining national accreditation.
Today, over a hundred International Standards are available to testing laboratories for measuring
radionuclides in different matrices.
Generic standards help testing laboratories to manage the measurement process by setting out the
general requirements and methods to calibrate equipment and validate techniques. These standards
underpin specific standards which describe the test methods to be performed by staff, for example, for
different types of sample. The specific standards cover test methods for:
40 3 14
— naturally-occurring radionuclides (including K, H, C and those originating from the thorium
226 228 234 238 210
and uranium decay series, in particular Ra, Ra, U, U and Pb) which can be found in
materials from natural sources or can be released from technological processes involving naturally
occurring radioactive materials (e.g. the mining and processing of mineral sands or phosphate
fertilizer production and use);
vi © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

— human-made radionuclides, such as transuranium elements (americium, plutonium, neptunium,
3 14 90
and curium), H, C, Sr and gamma-ray emitting radionuclides found in waste, liquid and gaseous
effluent, in environmental matrices (water, air, soil and biota), in food and in animal feed as a result
of authorized releases into the environment, fallout from the explosion in the atmosphere of nuclear
devices and fallout from accidents, such as those that occurred in Chernobyl and Fukushima.
The fraction of the background dose rate to man from environmental radiation, mainly gamma
radiation, is very variable and depends on factors su
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
01-junij-2021
Merjenje radioaktivnosti v okolju - Tla - 5. del: Stroncij 90 - Preskusna metoda z
uporabo proporcionalnega štetja ali tekočega scintilacijskega štetja (ISO 18589-
5:2019)
Measurement of radioactivity in the environment - Soil - Part 5: Strontium 90 - Test
method using proportional counting or liquid scintillation counting (ISO 18589-5:2019)
Mesurage de la radioactivité dans l'environnement - Sol - Partie 5: Strontium 90 -
Méthode d'essai par comptage proportionnel ou comptage par scintillation en milieu
liquide (ISO 18589-5:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 18589-5
ICS:
13.080.99 Drugi standardi v zvezi s Other standards related to
kakovostjo tal soil quality
17.240 Merjenje sevanja Radiation measurements
oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021

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oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18589-5
Second edition
2019-12
Measurement of radioactivity in the
environment — Soil —
Part 5:
Strontium 90 — Test method using
proportional counting or liquid
scintillation counting
Mesurage de la radioactivité dans l'environnement — Sol —
Partie 5: Strontium 90 — Méthode d'essai par comptage
proportionnel et scintillation liquide
Reference number
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)
©
ISO 2019

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oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2019
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: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
3.1 Terms and definitions . 2
3.2 Symbols . 2
4 Principle . 3
4.1 General . 3
4.2 Chemical separation . 3
4.3 Detection . 4
4.3.1 General. 4
4.3.2 Source preparation for liquid scintillation counter . 4
4.3.3 Source preparation for proportional counter . 4
4.3.4 Background determination . 4
5 Chemical reagents and equipment . 5
6 Procedure of strontium desorption . 5
6.1 Principles . 5
6.2 Technical resources . 6
6.2.1 Equipment . 6
6.2.2 Chemical reagents . 6
6.3 Procedure . 6
7 Chemical separation procedure by precipitation . 7
7.1 Principles . 7
7.2 Technical resources . 7
7.2.1 Equipment . 7
7.2.2 Chemical reagents . 8
7.3 Procedure . 8
7.3.1 Separation of alkaline metals and calcium . 8
7.3.2 Separation of barium, radium and lead . 9
7.3.3 Separation of fission products and yttrium . 9
7.3.4 Strontium purification . 9
7.3.5 Yttrium extraction .10
7.3.6 Determination of the chemical yields .11
8 Chemical separation procedure by liquid-liquid extraction .11
8.1 Principle .11
8.2 Technical resources .12
8.2.1 Equipment .12
8.2.2 Chemical reagents .12
8.3 Procedure .13
8.3.1 General.13
8.3.2 Chemical separation of yttrium .13
8.3.3 Source preparation to be measured by PC .14
8.3.4 Source preparation to be measured by LSC .14
8.3.5 Determination of the chemical yields .14
9 Chemical separation procedure by chromatography (crown ether resin) .15
9.1 Principles .15
9.2 Technical resources .15
9.2.1 Equipment .15
9.2.2 Chemical reagents .15
9.3 Procedure .16
© ISO 2019 – All rights reserved iii

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oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(E)

9.3.1 General.16
9.3.2 Chemical separation of the strontium .16
9.3.3 Determination of chemical yield .17
10 Measurement .17
10.1 General .17
10.2 Liquid scintillation counter .17
10.3 Gas flow proportional counter .17
10.4 Calculation of counting efficiency .18
11 Expression of results .18
11.1 General .18
90 90
11.2 Determination of Sr in equilibrium with Y .18
11.2.1 Calculation of the activity per unit of mass .18
11.2.2 Standard uncertainty .19
11.2.3 Decision threshold.19
11.2.4 Detection limit .19
90 90
11.3 Determination of Sr by the Y .19
11.3.1 Calculation of the activity per unit of mass .19
11.3.2 Standard uncertainty .20
11.3.3 Decision threshold.20
11.3.4 Detection limit .21
90 89 90 90
11.4 Determination of Sr in presence of Sr when Sr is in equilibrium with Y .21
11.4.1 Calculation of the activity per unit of mass .21
11.4.2 Standard uncertainty .22
11.4.3 Decision threshold.22
11.4.4 Detection limit .23
11.5 Confidence limits.23
12 Test report .23
Annex A (informative) Examples of evaluation models .25
Bibliography .32
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
ISO 18589-5:2019(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 voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy, Subcommittee SC 2,
Radiation protection.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 18589-5:2009), which has been
technically revised.
The main change compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— The introduction has been reviewed accordingly to the generic introduction adopted for the
standards published on the radioactivity measurement in the environment.
A list of all parts in the ISO 18589 series can be found on the ISO website.
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.
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Introduction
Everyone is exposed to natural radiation. The natural sources of radiation are cosmic rays and
naturally occurring radioactive substances which exist in the earth and flora and fauna, including the
human body. Human activities involving the use of radiation and radioactive substances add to the
radiation exposure from this natural exposure. Some of those activities, such as the mining and use
of ores containing naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and the production of energy
by burning coal that contains such substances, simply enhance the exposure from natural radiation
sources. Nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations use radioactive materials and produce
radioactive effluent and waste during operation and decommissioning. The use of radioactive materials
in industry, agriculture and research is expanding around the globe.
All these human activities give rise to radiation exposures that are only a small fraction of the global
average level of natural exposure. The medical use of radiation is the largest and a growing man-made
source of radiation exposure in developed countries. It includes diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy,
nuclear medicine and interventional radiology.
Radiation exposure also occurs as a result of occupational activities. It is incurred by workers in
industry, medicine and research using radiation or radioactive substances, as well as by passengers
and crew during air travel. The average level of occupational exposures is generally below the global
average level of natural radiation exposure (see Reference [1]).
As uses of radiation increase, so do the potential health risk and the public's concerns. Thus, all these
exposures are regularly assessed in order to:
— improve the understanding of global levels and temporal trends of public and worker exposure;
— evaluate the components of exposure so as to provide a measure of their relative importance;
— identify emerging issues that may warrant more attention and study. While doses to workers are
mostly directly measured, doses to the public are usually assessed by indirect methods using the
results of radioactivity measurements of waste, effluent and/or environmental samples.
To ensure that the data obtained from radioactivity monitoring programs support their intended use, it
is essential that the stakeholders (for example nuclear site operators, regulatory and local authorities)
agree on appropriate methods and procedures for obtaining representative samples and for handling,
storing, preparing and measuring the test samples. An assessment of the overall measurement
uncertainty also needs to be carried out systematically. As reliable, comparable and ‘fit for purpose’
data are an essential requirement for any public health decision based on radioactivity measurements,
international standards of tested and validated radionuclide test methods are an important tool for
the production of such measurement results. The application of standards serves also to guarantee
comparability of the test results over time and between different testing laboratories. Laboratories
apply them to demonstrate their technical competences and to complete proficiency tests successfully
during interlaboratory comparisons, two prerequisites for obtaining national accreditation.
Today, over a hundred International Standards are available to testing laboratories for measuring
radionuclides in different matrices.
Generic standards help testing laboratories to manage the measurement process by setting out the
general requirements and methods to calibrate equipment and validate techniques. These standards
underpin specific standards which describe the test methods to be performed by staff, for example, for
different types of sample. The specific standards cover test methods for:
40 3 14
— naturally-occurring radionuclides (including K, H, C and those originating from the thorium
226 228 234 238 210
and uranium decay series, in particular Ra, Ra, U, U and Pb) which can be found in
materials from natural sources or can be released from technological processes involving naturally
occurring radioactive materials (e.g. the mining and processing of mineral sands or phosphate
fertilizer production and use);
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— human-made radionuclides, such as transuranium elements (americium, plutonium, neptunium,
3 14 90
and curium), H, C, Sr and gamma-ray emitting radionuclides found in waste, liquid and gaseous
effluent, in environmental matrices (water, air, soil and biota), in food and in animal feed as a result
of authorized releases into the environment, fallout from the explosion in the atmosphere of nuclear
devices and fallout from accidents, such as those that occurred in Chernobyl and Fukushima.
The fraction of the background dose rate to man from environmental radiation, mainly gamma
radiation, is very variable and depends on factors such as the radioactivity of the local rock and soil, the
nature of building materials and the construction of buildings in which people live and work.
A reliable determination of the activity concentration of gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in various
matrices is necessary to assess the potential human exposure, to verify compliance with radiation
protection and environmental protection regulations or to provide guidance on reducing health risks.
Gamma-ray emitting radionuclides are also used as tracers in biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, and
engineering. Accurate measurement of the activities of the radionuclides is also needed for homeland
security and in connection with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
90
This document describes the requirements to quantify the activity of Sr in soil samples after proper
sampling, sample handling and test sample preparation in a testing laboratory or in situ.
This document is to be used in the context of a quality assurance management system (ISO/IEC 17025).
This document is published in several parts for use jointly or separately according to needs. These parts
are complementary and are addressed to those responsible for determining the radioactivity present
in soil, bedrocks and ore (NORM or TENORM). The first two parts are general in nature describe the
setting up of programmes and sampling techniques, methods of general processing of samples in the
laboratory (ISO 18589-1), the sampling strategy and the soil sampling technique, soil sample handling
and preparation (ISO 18589-2). ISO 18589-3 to ISO 18589-5 deal with nuclide-specific test methods
to quantify the activity concentration of gamma emitters radionuclides (ISO 18589-3 and ISO 20042),
90
plutonium isotopes (ISO 18589-4) and Sr (ISO 18589-5) of soil samples. ISO 18589-6 deals with
non-specific measurements to quantify rapidly gross alpha or gross beta activities and ISO 18589-7
describes in situ measurement of gamma-emitting radionuclides.
The test methods described in ISO 18589-3 to ISO 18589-6 can also be used to measure the radionuclides
in sludge, sediment, construction material and products following proper sampling procedure.
This document is one of a set of International Standards on measurement of radioactivity in the
environment.
Additional parts can be added to ISO 18589 in the future if the standardization of the measurement of
other radionuclides becomes necessary.
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oSIST prEN ISO 18589-5:2021
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18589-5:2019(E)
Measurement of radioactivity in the environment — Soil —
Part 5:
Strontium 90 — Test method using proportional counting
or liquid scintillation counting
1 Scope
90
This document describes the principles for the measurement of the activity of Sr in equilibrium with
90 89
Y and Sr, pure beta emitting radionuclides, in soil samples. Different chemical separation methods
are presented to produce strontium and yttrium sources, the activity of which is determined using
90
proportional counters (PC) or liquid scintillation counters (LSC). Sr can be obtained from the test
90 90 90
samples when the equilibrium between Sr and Y is reached or through direct Y measurement.
The selection of the measuring method depends on the origin of the contamination, the characteristics
of the soil to be analysed, the required accuracy of measurement and the resources of the available
laboratories.
These methods are used for soil monitoring following discharges, whether past or present, accidental
or routine, liquid or gaseous. It also covers the monitoring of contamination caused by global nuclear
fallout.
89
In case of recent fallout immediately following a nuclear accident, the contribution of Sr to the total
amount of strontium activity will not be negligible. This standard provides the measurement method to
90 89
determine the activity of Sr in presence of Sr.
The test methods described in this document can also be used to measure the radionuclides in sludge,
sediment, construction material and products by following proper sampling procedure.
-1
Using samples sizes of 20 g and counting times of 1 000 min, detection limits of (0,1 to 0,5) Bq·kg can
90
be achievable for Sr using conventional and commercially available proportional counter or liquid
89 89
scintillation counter when the presence of Sr can be neglected. If Sr is present in the test s
...