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Council Directive 2013/51/EuratomShow full title

Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom of 22 October 2013 laying down requirements for the protection of the health of the general public with regard to radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption

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1. Monitoring for compliance with the ID

Member States may use various reliable screening strategies to indicate the presence of radioactivity in water intended for human consumption. These strategies may include screening for certain radionuclides, or screening for an individual radionuclide, or gross alpha activity or gross beta activity screening.

(a)screening for certain radionuclides, or screening for an individual radionuclide

If one of the activity concentrations exceeds 20 % of the corresponding derived value or the tritium concentration exceeds its parametric value listed in Annex I, an analysis of additional radionuclides shall be required. The radionuclides to be measured shall be defined by Member States taking into account all relevant information about likely sources of radioactivity.

(b)screening strategies for gross alpha activity and gross beta activity

Member States may use screening strategies for gross alpha activity and gross beta activity(1) to monitor for the parametric indicator value for ID.

For this purpose gross alpha activity or gross beta activity screening levels shall be set. The recommended screening level for gross alpha activity is 0,1 Bq/l. The recommended screening level for gross beta activity is 1,0 Bq/l.

If the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity are less than 0,1 Bq/l and 1,0 Bq/l respectively, the Member State may assume that the ID is less than the parametric value of 0,1 mSv and radiological investigation is not needed unless it is known from other sources of information that specific radionuclides are present in the water that are liable to cause an ID in excess of 0,1 mSv.

If the gross alpha activity exceeds 0,1 Bq/l or the gross beta activity exceeds 1,0 Bq/l, analysis for specific radionuclides shall be required.

Member States may set alternative screening levels for gross alpha activity and gross beta activity where they can demonstrate that the alternative levels are in compliance with an ID of 0,1 mSv.

The radionuclides to be measured shall be defined by Member States taking into account all relevant information about likely sources of radioactivity. Since elevated levels of tritium may indicate the presence of other artificial radionuclides, tritium, gross alpha activity and gross beta activity should be measured in the same sample.

(1)

Where appropriate gross beta activity may be replaced by residual beta activity after subtraction of the K-40 activity concentration.

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