National Physical Laboratory

NPL Environmental Radioactivity Comparison Exercises

The comparison exercises started in 1989, with the increase in public concern about radioactivity in the environment, particularly after the Chernobyl accident. The aim was to assess the performance of the radioactivity measurement community in the UK. More recently, participation in the exercises has become an important aspect of UKAS accreditation in this field.

The samples are dispatched to the participants, who have two months to analyse the samples and submit the results to NPL. At the end of each exercise, a workshop is held at NPL. During the workshop, the results of the comparison exercise are presented, and the difficulties met by the analysts and the content of the next comparison exercise are discussed. This provides useful feedback for NPL. The environmental workshop is a regular national forum for discussion and technology transfer.

The Environmental Radioactivity Proficiency Test Exercise is now run on an annual basis by NPL.

The following links provide information on the most recent exercises:


For further information, please e-mail radioactivity@npl.co.uk
Tel: 020 8943 8600
Fax: 020 8943 8700

Last Updated: 10 Jul 2012
Created: 23 May 2011