Low-level radioactivity measurements
Our offer
The expert group Low-level Radioactivity Measurements (LRM) monitors the radioactivity of the environment affected by various nuclear facilities and the workers handling radioactive materials inside those facilities. Every year, thousands of biological (urine, faecal and nose blow) and environmental samples (airborne dust, rainwater, surface water, sediments, soils, vegetation and foodstuffs) are collected and analysed for their radioactivity content.
The expert goup LRM has several laboratories and offers services to both internal (SCK•CEN) and external clients (Belgonucleaire, Belgoprocess, FANC, KCD, CNT, FBFC Int., IRMM, CCE). It obtained accreditation for all of its routine, environmental and biological analysis techniques since 1998 and has ever since aimed at increasing the quality of its services and at broadening its scope of accreditation.
The accreditation was granted by the Belgian Accreditation organisation BELAC, first in compliance with the European norm EN45001 and later on (since 2001) in compliance with the international norm ISO-17025.
Methods covered by the accreditation
- Global alfa activity and global beta activity in aqueous samples
- Global alfa activity in nose blow samples
- Gamma Spectrometry in aqueous and solid sample
- Uranium concentration (by mass) in aqueous and urine samples
- Isotope specific activity (by alpha spectroscopy) in aqueous, urine and solid samples
- 226Ra/222Rn activity measurement (Lucas method) in aqueous and water soluble samples
- 90Sr activity measurement in aqueous and solid samples
- 131I determination in milk samples
- Liquid scintillation counting of aqueous samples and combustible solid samples
Leaflet:
Mesures de faible Radioactivité (1 MB)
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Contact
Head of expert group: Bruggeman Michel
Our equipment
The expert group Low-level Radioactivity Measurements group is divided into various subgroups, each with their own specific tasks and equipment.
- Sampling, sample preparation and sample management
- Laboratory for gross alpha and beta counting
- Laboratory for gamma-ray spectrometry
- Laboratory for actinide and polonium measurements
- Laboratory for radium and radon measurements
- Laboratory for strontium and iodine measurements
- Laboratory for liquid scintillation counting
- Laboratory for source preparation
- Laboratory for neutron activation analysis

