Results of a simple intercomparison of natural radioactivity measurements using a 'blue concrete' sample

A simple intercomparison of natural radioactivity and radon emanation facto r measurements co-ordinated by the Medical Physics Department of the Univer sity of Cantabria UC, Spain, has been carried out during 1998 in the framew ork of the EU Concerted Action ERRICCA (European Research into Radon in Con struction Concerted Action). All the measurements have been made on a 'blue concrete' sample kindly donated by Dr G. Akerblom from the Swedish Radiati on Protection Institute. In addition to UC, two other participant laborator ies, STUK from Finland and ZVD from the Republic of Slovenia, have contribu ted to the development of the intercomparison exercise. Considering the unc ertainties of the measurements, a good agreement between the results obtain ed by the three participating laboratories has been ascertained. However, i n accordance with experimental results obtained by other authors, data repo rted by UC show a significant decrease of the radon emanation factor as moi sture content of the sample decreases below 5% (per weight). (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.