SIST EN ISO 13164-1:2020

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 13164-1:2019
01-julij-2019
Kakovost vode - Radon Rn-222 - 1. del: Splošna načela (ISO 13164-1:2013)
Water quality - Radon-222 - Part 1: General principles (ISO 13164-1:2013)
Wasserbeschaffenheit - Radon 222 - Teil 1: Grundlagen (ISO 13164-1:2013)
Qualité de l'eau - Radon 222 - Partie 1: Principes généraux (ISO 13164-1:2013)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 13164-1
ICS:
13.060.60 Preiskava fizikalnih lastnosti Examination of physical
vode properties of water
17.240 Merjenje sevanja Radiation measurements
oSIST prEN ISO 13164-1:2019 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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oSIST prEN ISO 13164-1:2019

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oSIST prEN ISO 13164-1:2019
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 13164-1
First edition
2013-09-01
Corrected version
2013-11-15
Water quality — Radon-222 —
Part 1:
General principles
Qualité de l’eau — Radon 222 —
Partie 1: Principes généraux
Reference number
ISO 13164-1:2013(E)
©
ISO 2013

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ISO 13164-1:2013(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2013
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved

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Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, and symbols . 2
3.1 Terms and definitions . 2
3.2 Symbols . 4
4 Principle of the measurement method . 5
5 Sampling . 6
6 Transportation and storage . 6
7 Test sample preparation . 8
7.1 Degassing techniques . 8
7.2 Permeation technique . 9
7.3 Liquid extraction technique . 9
8 Detection techniques . 9
8.1 Gamma-spectrometry . 9
8.2 Silver-activated zinc sulfide ZnS(Ag) scintillation . 9
8.3 Air ionization . 9
8.4 Semiconductor (alpha-detection).10
8.5 Liquid scintillation .10
9 Measurement methods .10
9.1 General .10
9.2 Gamma-spectrometry method .10
9.3 Emanometric method .10
9.4 Liquid scintillation counting methods (LSC) .12
9.5 Permeation method .12
10 Calibration .12
11 Quality assurance and quality control programme .12
11.1 General .12
11.2 Influence quantities .12
11.3 Instrument verification.13
11.4 Method verification .13
11.5 Demonstration of analyst capability .13
12 Expression of results .13
13 Test report .13
Annex A (informative) Radon and its decay products in water .15
Annex B (informative) Examples of data record forms .19
Bibliography .23
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Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, www.iso.org/directives.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any
patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on
the ISO list of patent declarations received, www.iso.org/patents.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 147, Water quality, Subcommittee SC 3,
Radioactivity measurements.
ISO 13164 consists of the following parts, under the general title Water quality — Radon-222:
— Part 1: General principles
— Part 2: Test method using gamma-ray spectrometry
— Part 3: Test method using emanometry
The following part is under preparation:
— Part 4: Test method using two-phase liquid scintillation counting
This corrected version of ISO 13164-1:2013 incorporates the following corrections:
— Table 2: The check marks which printed out incorrectly in the last two columns have been
changed to X’s. The X’s from the cells “Gamma spectrometry – On-site” and “Liquid scintillation –
On-site” have been removed.
— Annex B: The examples of data record forms for B.2 and B.3 were inversed. They are now in the
right places.

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Introduction
Radioactivity from several naturally occurring and human-made sources is present throughout the
environment. Thus, water bodies (surface waters, groundwaters, sea waters) can contain radionuclides
of natural and human-made origin.
— Natural radionuclides, including potassium-40, and those of the thorium and uranium decay series,
in particular radium-226, radium-228, uranium-234, uranium-238, lead-210, can be found in water
for natural reasons (e.g. desorption from the soil and wash-off by rain water) or releases from
technological processes involving naturally occurring radioactive materials (e.g. the mining and
processing of mineral sands or phosphate fertilizer production and use).
— Human-made radionuclides such as transuranium elements (americium, plutonium, neptunium,
curium), tritium, carbon-14, strontium-90 and gamma-emitting radionuclides can also be found in
natural waters as they can be authorized to be routinely released into the environment in small
quantities in the effluent discharged from nuclear fuel cycle facilities and following their used in
unsealed form in medicine or industry. They are also found in water due to the past fallout of the
explosion in the atmosphere of nuclear devices and the accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Drinking-water can thus contain radionuclides at activity concentration which could present a risk to
human health. In order to assess the quality of drinking-water (including mineral waters and spring
waters) with respect to its radionuclide content and to provide guidance on reducing health risks by
taking measures to decrease radionuclide activity concentrations, water resources (groundwater, river,
lake, sea, etc.) and drinking water are monitor for their radioactivity content as recommended by the
World Health Organization (WHO).
Standard test methods for radon-222 activity concentrations in water samples are needed by test
laboratories carrying out such measurements in fulfillment of national authority requirements.
Laboratories may have to obtain a specific accreditation for radionuclide measurement in drinking
water samples.
−1
The radon activity concentration in surface water is very low, usually below 1 Bq l . In groundwater, the
−1 −1 −1
activity concentration varies from 1 Bq l up to 50 Bq l in sedimentary rock aquifers, from 10 Bq l
−1 −1 −1
up to 300 Bq l in wells, and from 100 Bq l up to 1 000 Bq l in crystalline rocks. The highest activity
concentrations are normally measured in rocks with high concentration of uranium (Reference [30]).
High variations in the activity concentrations of radon in aquifers have been observed. Even in a region
with relatively uniform rock types, some well water may exhibit radon activity concentration greatly
higher than the average value for the same region. Significant seasonal variations have also been
recorded (see Annex A).
Water may dissolve chemical substances as it passes from the soil surface to an aquifer or spring waters.
The water may pass through or remain for some time in rock, some formations of which may contain a
high concentration of natural radionuclides. Under favourable geochemical conditions, the water may
selectively dissolve some of these natural radionuclides.
Guidance on radon in drinking-water supplies provided by WHO in 2008 suggests that controls should be
−1
implemented if the radon concentration of drinking-water for public water supplies exceeds 100 Bq l .
It also recommended that any new, especially public, drinking-water supply using groundwater should
be tested prior to being used for general consumption and that if the radon concentration exceeds
−1
100 Bq l , treatment of the water source should be undertaken to reduce the radon levels to well below
that level (Reference [41]).
This International Standard is one of a series dealing with the measurement of the activity concentration
of radionuclides in water samples.
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oSIST prEN ISO 13164-1:2019
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13164-1:2013(E)
Water quality — Radon-222 —
Part 1:
General principles
WARNING — Persons using this document should be familiar with normal laboratory practice.
This document does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its
use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to
ensure compliance with any national regulatory conditions.
IMPORTANT — It is absolutely essential that tests conducted in accordance with this document
be carried out by suitably qualified staff.
1 Scope
This part of ISO 13164 gives general guidelines for sampling, packaging, and transporting of all kinds of
water samples, for the measurement of the activity concentration of radon-222.
The test methods fall into two categories:
a) direct measurement of the water sample without any transfer of phase (see ISO 13164-2);
b) indirect measurement involving the transfer of the radon-222 from the aqueous phase to another
phase (see ISO 13164-3).
The test methods can be applied either in the laboratory or on site.
The laboratory is responsible for ensuring the suitability of the test method for the water samples tested.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 5667-1, Water quality — Sampling — Part 1: Guidance on the design of sampling programmes and
sampling techniques
ISO 5667-3, Water quality — Sampling — Part 3: Preservation and handling of water samples
ISO 10703, Water quality — Determination of the activity concentration of radionuclides — Method by high
resolution gamma-ray spectrometry
ISO 13164-2, Water quality — Radon-222 — Part 2: Test method using gamma-ray spectrometry
ISO 13164-3, Water quality — Radon-222 — Part 3: Test method using emanometry
ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
ISO 80000-10, Quantities and units — Part 10: Atomic and nuclear physics
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3 Terms, definitions, and symbols
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 80000-10 and the following apply.
3.1.1
activity
number of spontaneous nuclear disintegrations occurring in a given quantity of material during a
suitably small interval of time divided by that interval of time
1
23]
[SOURCE: ISO 921:1997,
3.1.2
activity concentration in water
activity per volume of water
Note 1 to entry: The activity concentration in water is expressed in becquerels per litre.
3.1.3
activity concentration in air
activity per volume of air following the degassing phase
Note 1 to entry: The activity concentration in air is expressed in becquerels per cubic metre.
3.1.4
test sample
part of the total sample subjected to analysis
3.1.5
Bunsen coefficient
volume of a gas dissolved at standard temperature (273,15 K) and standard partial pressure (0,1 MPa)
divided by the volume of the solvent at a temperature, T, and standard pressure (0,1 MPa)
Note 1 to entry: Adapted from Reference [10], p. 239.
Note 2 to entry: Modern practice recommends that gas solubility be expressed as molality, mole fraction or
mole ratio (see Reference [10]). However, in many studies dealing with radon measurement in water, the Bunsen
coefficient appears frequently.
Note 3 to entry: The solubility of radon in water increases as the water temperature decreases (see Annex A).
3.1.6
continuous measurement of radon in water
measurement of the radon activity concentration of continuous samples at a given sampling point in the
water environment
Note 1 to entry: This form of analysis is used to monitor variations in the activity concentration of radon in the
water at the sampling point over time.
3.1.7
continuous sampling
process whereby samples are taken continuously from a body of water
3
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-2:2006, 32, modified]
3.1.8
degassing
transfer of dissolved radon from water to air, usually by means of a physical process
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3.1.9
direct in-situ measurement
automatic analysis system in which at least the measurement probe is immersed in the body of water
3.1.10
discrete sample
localized discrete sample
single sample taken from a body of water at a random time or place
3.1.11
dissolution
mixing of two phases with the formation of one new homogeneous phase
3.1.12
drinking water
potable water
water of a quality suitable for drinking purposes
2
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-1:2004, 30]
3.1.13
groundwater
water which is held in, and can usually be recovered from, an underground formation
2
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-1:2004, 41, modified]
3.1.14
intermittent sampling
process whereby discrete samples are taken from a body of water
3.1.15
mains water
water fed from a drinking water treatment station, spring or borehole into a distribution system or reservoir
3.1.16
Ostwald coefficient
volume of a gas dissolved at a given temperature and pressure divided by the volume of the solvent at
the same temperature and pressure
Note 1 to entry: Adapted from Reference [10], p. 1147.
Note 2 to entry: Modern practice recommends that gas solubility be expressed as molality, mole fraction or mole
ratio (see Reference [10]). However, in many studies dealing with radon measurement in water, the Ostwald
coefficient appears frequently.
Note 3 to entry: The solubility of radon in a liquid increases as the liquid temperature decreases (see Annex A).
3.1.17
radon transport by permeation
transfer of radon from one medium to another across a third homogeneous medium (membrane)
3.1.18
raw water
water which has received no treatment whatsoever, or water entering a plant for treatment or
further treatment
2
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-1:2004, 59]
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3.1.19
reservoir
construction, partially or wholly man-made, for storage or regulation and control of water
3
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-2:2006, 107, modified]
3.1.20
surface water
water which flows over, or rests on, the surface of a land mass
2
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-1:2004, 74]
3.1.21
sample
portion, ideally representative, removed from a specified body of water, either discretely or continuously,
for the purpose of examination of various defined characteristics
3
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-2:2006, 111]
3.1.22
sampling
process of removing a portion, intended to be representative, of a body of water for the purpose of
examination of various defined characteristics
3
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-2:2006, 114]
3.1.23
sampling point
precise position within a sampling location from which samples are taken
3
[SOURCE: ISO 6107-2:2006, 117]
3.1.24
sampling zone
extent of a body of water over which samples are taken
3.1.25
222
short-lived Rn decay products
222
radionuclides with a half-life <1 h produced by the decay of radon-222 ( Rn), namely polonium-218
218 214 214 214
( Po), lead-214 ( Pb), bismuth-214 ( Bi), and polonium-214 ( Po)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
3.1.26
spot measurement of radon in water
measurement of the radon activity concentration in a water discrete sample carried out either
immediately or after a known delay
Note 1 to entry: The result obtained is only representative of the time the sample was taken.
3.1.27
transfer
displacement or transport of radon from one phase to another
3.2 Symbols
For the purpose of this document, the symbols given in ISO 80000-10 and the following apply.
c activity concentration in air following degassing, in becquerels per cubic metre
c activity concentration in water, in becquerels per litre
A
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∗
decision threshold, in becquerels per litre
c
A
#
detection limit, in becquerels per litre
c
A

lower and upper limits of the confidence interval, in becquerels per litre
cc,
AA
c activity concentration in a liquid, in becquerels per litre
l
L Ostwald coefficient
T temperature of water sample, in degrees Celsius
HO
2
U expanded uncertainty calculated by U = k.u( ) with k = 2
u(c ) standard uncertainty associated with the measurement result
A
V volume of the test sample, in litres
α Bunsen coefficient
4 Principle of the measurement method
222 226
Radon-222 ( Rn) is a radioactive gas produced by the decay of radium-226 ( Ra), which is one of the
238
decay products of the uranium-238 ( U) that is naturally present in the Earth’s crust (see Annex A).
The decay of radon-222 proceeds through a series of non-volatile radioactive elements resulting in
stable lead-206 (see Figure 1) (Reference [9]).
Figure 1 — Uranium-238 and its decay products
A large number of methods are available to measure the activity concentration of radon-222 in water.
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The measurement of the activity concentration of radon-222 in water involves the following operations:
— collection of a representative sample of the water at time t in a suitable container;
— storage and the transportation of the sample, when the measurement is carried out in a laboratory;
— test sample preparation by transferring the radon dissolved in the water to another phase, when
needed by the detection techniques (emanometric or a liquid scintillation counting);
— determination of the radon activity concentration in the water using a variety of detection techniques
directly or through its decay products (see Figure 2).
The result of the measurement is expressed in becquerels per litre.
The methods specified in the different parts of this International Standard are applicable to all types
of water (see Table 2), and the method is selected according to the purpose of the measurement,
phenomenological observation or radiological impact assessment taking into account the level of the
radon activity concentration expected in the raw sample.
5 Sampling
Sampling shall be carried out in accordance with ISO 5667-1 and ISO 5667-3.
The sampling conditions shall comply with ISO 5667-1, and shall also satisfy those specified in Table 1
in order to minimize as far as possible any exchange with the atmosphere and to maintain the radon in
solution in the water sample.
The sample container shall be labelled.
The sampling location, date and time shall be recorded.
−1
), avoid any contact between
When measuring very low levels of radon activity concentration (<10 Bq l
the sample and the atmosphere when taking the sample.
When measurement methods require specific precautions, these are listed in the relevant parts of
ISO 13164 (e.g. when using degassing techniques, the temperature of the water shall be recorded).
6 Transportation and storage
The transportation and storage conditions shall be adapted to keep the integrity of the sample.
The temperature of the transportation and storage of the sample shall be below that of the original
water (but above 0 °C). The container shall be protected and sealed to avoid opening during
transportation. The container shall be packed in an appropriate manner, especially around the cap, in
order to prevent any leakage.
The sample shall be measured as soon as possible after sampling. When it is necessary to store the
sample for an extended period of time prior to measurement, it shall be stored at low temperature in a
refrigerator or similar storage facility in accordance with ISO 5667-1 and ISO 5667-3.
The duration of transportation and storage prior to analysis shall be as short as possible given the
half-life of radon-222, the expected activity concentration, and the detection limit of the measurement
method to be used.
Experience indicates that it is essential that the time between sampling and analysis not exceed 48 h.
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Measurement of
radon-222 in water
Direct Indirect
Gaseous Liquid Solid
phase phase phase
Transfer
Activated
Degassing Permeation Mixture Permeation Plastic
charcoal
Gamma- ZnS Alpha Liquid Gamma- ZnS
spectrometry scintillation spectrometry scintillation spectrometry scintillation
Ionization
chamber
Alpha
spectrometry
Detection Electret
Solid-state
nuclear track
detector
Figure 2 — Diagram illustrating the techniques used to measure radon in water
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Table 1 — Sampling conditions
Sampling type Container Sampling steps
— The container shall be made
from a material that is non-porous to — Prepare the equipment.
radon (e.g. aluminium). Avoid the use of
— Open the tap to obtain a continuous
highly hydrophobic materials in order
flow to avoid turbulence at the outlet of the tap
to minimize the presence of gas bubbles
and on the walls of the container.
on the walls of the container. Avoid the
use of grease and oil because of the high — Take t
...