The IAEA Terrestrial Environmental Radiochemistry Laboratory organizes annual proficiency test (PT) and interlaboratory comparison (ILC) exercises for Member State and ALMERA laboratories. These exercises are designed to monitor and demonstrate their performance and analytical capabilities, and to identify gaps and problem areas where further development is needed.
The annual exercises contain varied sets of environmental samples to be characterized by participating laboratories for anthropogenic and natural alpha, beta and gamma emitting radionuclides. Participants can report their measurement results on radionuclides of their choice; it is not compulsory to report measurement results on all requested radionuclides and/or samples. Individual reports containing the evaluation on the measurement results are available for participants to download within a few months after the reporting deadline.
The IAEA-TERC-2024-01 Worldwide Proficiency Test Exercise is organised on the determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, bauxite, sediment and simulated contaminated surface samples.
The year’s sample set includes:
The full instructions for this year’s Proficiency Test exercise will be published on the website prior to the shipment of the samples.
Tentative Time-Schedule:
Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Proficiency Test Team at Proficiency-Tests.Contact-Point@iaea.org.
Proficiency Test (PT) on determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, soil and simulated contaminated surface samples. This year's PT was designed to monitor and demonstrate the performance and analytical capability of the participating laboratories and to identify gaps and problem areas where further development is needed. The sample set was formulated to support these goals.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TERC-2022-01 | 345 | 83 | 316 | 78 |
IAEA-TERC-2022-02 | 107 | 58 | 99 | 54 |
S-Shape Reports:
World Wide and ALMERA Proficiency Test Exercises on the determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, soil (gamma-ray spectrum analysis exercise), and simulated contaminated surface samples.
The instructions, the Soil gamma-ray spectrum analysis exercise and the results for the exercise are available on the TERC Proficiency Test Data Portal.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TERC-2022-01 | 314 | 79 | 278 | 70 |
IAEA-TERC-2022-02 | 105 | 58 | 98 | 55 |
S-Shape Reports:
Proficiency Test on determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, Japanese bamboo and simulated swipe samples
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2021-03 | 326 | 78 | 252 | 60 |
IAEA-TEL-2021-04 | 118 | 59 | 97 | 49 |
S-Shape Reports:
Proficiency Test on determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water and fish samples and gross alpha and beta estimation on simulated aerosol filter.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2020-03 | 257 | 69 | 215 | 58 |
IAEA-TEL-2020-04 | 105 | 59 | 89 | 51 |
S-Shape Reports:
Determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, shrimp and simulated filters The identification of the gamma-emitting radionuclides has to be carried-out by the participants. The alpha and beta emitters to be analyzed will be specified in the cover letter.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2019-03 | 294 | 74 | 289 | 74 |
IAEA-TEL-2019-04 | 106 | 59 | 105 | 58 |
Determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, milk powder and calcium carbonate The identification of the gamma-emitting radionuclides has to be carried-out by the participants. The alpha and beta emitters to be analyzed will be specified in the cover letter.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2018-03 | 300 | 75 | 267 | 66 |
IAEA-TEL-2018-04 | 98 | 60 | 88 | 54 |
Proficiency Test on the determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, milk powder and Ca-carbonate of natural origin. The identification of the gamma-emitting radionuclides has to be carried-out by the participants. The alpha and beta emitters to be analyzed will be specified in the cover letter.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2017-03 | 253 | 64 | 225 | 60 |
IAEA-TEL-2017-04 | 99 | 62 | 90 | 58 |
Determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, biota and soil samples The identification of the gamma-emitting radionuclides has to be carried-out by the participants. The alpha and beta emitters to be analyzed will be specified in the cover letter.
Almera only: For U-series the measurement by gamma ray spectrometry should be performed, when the Ra-226 and Rn-222 equilibrium is reached in the sample (minimum 30 days after closing the sample into the Rn-tight sample container). The activity reporting for progenies of natural decay series should be based exactly on the identified radionuclide, without branching ration correction.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2016-03 | 281 | 61 | 256 | 57 |
IAEA-TEL-2016-04 | 80 | 51 | 76 | 49 |
Proficiency test on the determination of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in water, brown rice and soil samples at the suggestion of the ALMERA Reference Material and Proficiency Test Workgroup during the coordination meeting held in Vienna, 2014.
The identification of the gamma-emitting radionuclides has to be carried-out by the participants. For U-series the measurements should be performed, when the Ra-226 and Rn-222 equilibrium is reached in the sample (minimum 30 days after closing the sample into the sample container, and the application of Rn tight container is recommended). The activity reporting in case of progenies of natural decay series should be based exactly on the identified radionuclide. For example please do not apply the branching ratio correction for the activity calculation of the Tl-208 isotope.
PT-ID | Count Participants Registered | from Number of Countries | Count Results submitted | from Number of Countries |
IAEA-TEL-2015-03 | 243 | 57 | 235 | 57 |
IAEA-TEL-2015-04 | 82 | 57 | 73 | 52 |
For more information contact us at Proficiency-Tests.Contact-Point@iaea.org