Characterization of concrete reference material for analysis of artificial radionuclides in nuclear power plant decommissioning waste

Abstract

The decommissioning of nuclear power plants has led to a surge in the production of radioactive waste, necessitating the development of accurate and reliable measurement methods for safe waste disposal. This study presents the development of a new concrete reference material (RM) containing beta, and gamma nuclides for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) in concrete measurements. The newly developed RM manufacturing method was used to ensure sample homogeneity; rigorous processes were followed according to ISO guidelines. The RM, designed to mimic real waste matrices, targeted six radionuclides: ⁶⁰Co, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁵²Eu, ¹⁵⁴Eu, and ⁹⁰Sr. Homogeneity and stability tests, conducted according to ISO guidelines, confirmed the suitability of the concrete RM for QA/QC purposes. Reference values for the six radionuclides in RM ranged from 66.0 to 172.6 Bq kg ⁻¹. The expanded uncertainties of the reference values, at a 95 % confidence level ( k = 2), ranged from approximately 7.1 %–17.2 %. The developed RM holds potential as proficiency test material and for validating and verifying analytical methods in radioactive waste analysis. Additionally, the manufacturing method introduced here opens doors for diverse applications, enabling the production of accurate and reliable reference materials for various waste matrices.

Highlights

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  KRISS developed new concrete reference material (RM) according to ISO Guide.

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  The concrete RM contains ⁶⁰Co, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁵²Eu and ¹⁵⁴Eu.

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  Reference values for six radionuclides in the RM range from 66.0 to 172.6 Bq kg ⁻¹.

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  The expanded uncertainties ( k = 2) range from 7.1 % to 17.2 %.