BfS measuring stations for monitoring radioactive substances accredited

The whole body counter building at the Berlin site

Tested and approved: The incorporation measuring stations of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) have been accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018. The special measurements involve detecting radioactive substances that may have entered the body and determining the dose.

"The Federal Office for Radiation Protection is the coordinating office for quality assurance in the detection of radioactive substances in the human body. That's why it is crucial for us to work at the highest technical and organisational level with our own measuring stations", says BfS President Inge Paulini. "With the accreditation, the BfS fulfils all the requirements for incorporation measuring stations and guarantees a quality-assured service for occupationally exposed persons."

In vivo measurement at the Neuherberg site

Around 1,450 measurements per year

When handling open radioactive substances, radionuclides can enter the body via the respiratory tract, the skin, the digestive tract, or wounds. In other words, they can be incorporated. Once in the body, they lead to internal radiation exposure. Incorporation monitoring can be used to check whether certain dose limits have been adhered to – for example, for employees in nuclear power plants or in the pharmaceutical and medical sector.

There are 24 incorporation measuring stations in Germany; these are operated by research centres, universities, clinics, authorities, and industry in addition to the BfS.

At the BfS, two methods are used for monitoring: in vivo methods are used to directly measure activity in the human body in vitro methods are used to indirectly analyse the concentration of activity in excretions. The incorporation measuring stations of the BfS have two whole-body counters, a radioanalytical laboratory, and a partial-body counter at their disposal.

Every year, the BfS measuring stations carry out around 1,400 in vivo measurements and around 50 in vitro measurements.

Whole-body counters in use

Tasks in research, policy advice, and emergencies

The Coordinating Office on Incorporation Monitoring is also based at the BfS. It is responsible for the quality assurance of monitoring procedures at all incorporation measuring stations in Germany. The standardisation of internationally established analysis, measurement, and interpretation methods is another field of activity. In addition to research, its area of responsibility includes policy advice and reporting for the Bundestag and the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV). The Coordinating Office on Incorporation Monitoring is also integrated into radiological emergency preparedness: In an emergency, it coordinates the available capacities of the measuring stations.

DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 is the globally recognised standard for the accreditation of measurement and calibration laboratories. The standard contains specifications for all laboratory procedures and work flows – from sampling to the documentation and transmission of results. The laboratories of the BfS are subject to both internal and external audits. Participation in interlaboratory comparisons is also part of the quality assurance activities. All measures are documented in annual reports for both the Munich-Neuherberg and Berlin-Karlshorst sites.