EC intercomparisons for laboratories monitoring environmental radioactivity.

International measurement comparisons are organised regularly for EU laboratories involved in monitoring radioactivity, with emphasis on meeting routine measurement conditions. Using the recent comparison of 137Cs in air filters as an example, the whole cycle is described: establishment of traceable reference values, spiking of individual filters for the comparison and their quality assurance, treatment and measurement of filters in the participating laboratories and evaluation of comparison results. The treatment of an individual result, deviating widely from the reference value, is discussed. Monte-Carlo simulations allow to estimate the maximum errors possibly made due to a non-suitable measurement geometry.