ISO 9698-2019 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 9698:2019 — Water quality — Tritium — Test method using liquid scintillation counting. This International Standard specifies a laboratory method using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) to determine the activity concentration of tritium (3H) in marine, surface, ground, rain, drinking waters and in effluents containing tritiated water. It details sample handling, optional pretreatment, counting procedures, quality controls and reporting requirements for reliable tritium measurement in aqueous matrices.

Abstract

ISO 9698:2019 describes a validated LSC-based procedure for measuring tritium activity concentration in various water types. The method covers direct measurement of raw samples and procedures requiring sample distillation or other pretreatment when interferences or low detection limits are relevant. It is not directly applicable to organically bound tritium without additional chemical processing (e.g., oxidation or combustion). Under suitable conditions detection limits can reach about 1 Bq·L−1 and activity concentrations up to 10^6 Bq·L−1 can be measured without dilution.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: May 2019
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 13.280; 13.060.60
• Edition / version: Edition 3 (2019)
• Number of pages: 25

Scope

This standard specifies the procedure for determination of tritium activity concentration in aqueous samples by liquid scintillation counting. It applies to marine waters, surface waters, groundwaters, rain, drinking water and effluents containing tritiated water. The document covers sampling considerations, optional sample pretreatment (including distillation and enrichment), instrument calibration, quench correction, background and blank determination, counting protocols, calculation of activity concentration, detection limits and uncertainty estimation. It does not cover measurement of organically bound tritium except where additional chemical treatment is applied.

Key topics and requirements

• Principle of measurement: liquid scintillation counting of 3H beta emissions.
• Sample collection, preservation and transport to avoid contamination or loss.
• Optional sample pretreatment: distillation, enrichment or chemical processing when required (e.g., to remove interferences or to measure organically bound tritium after oxidation/combustion).
• Calibration and efficiency determination, including use of standards and quench correction techniques.
• Blank, background and recovery checks to control measurement quality and bias.
• Specification of counting times and counting geometry to achieve target detection limits (down to ~1 Bq·L−1 under suitable conditions).
• Calculation methods for activity concentration, uncertainty estimation and reporting formats.
• Requirements for radiation safety, laboratory competence and documentation of methods and results.

Typical use and users

ISO 9698:2019 is used by environmental and public-health laboratories, water utilities, nuclear and radiological monitoring programs, research institutions, regulatory agencies and contractors performing routine or investigational tritium analysis in water. It supports compliance testing, environmental monitoring around nuclear facilities, contamination assessments, and scientific studies of hydrology and tracer experiments.

Related standards

Relevant complementary documents include the ISO series on water sampling and handling (ISO 5667 series), standards and guides on decision thresholds and detection limits for radioactive measurements, and national/international guidance on radiochemical methods and radiation protection. Earlier editions of this standard (ISO 9698:2010 and ISO 9698:1989) describe previous versions of the method; technical guidance from radiological agencies (for example IAEA technical reports and national laboratory protocols) may also be used alongside this ISO standard.

Keywords

tritium; 3H; liquid scintillation counting; LSC; water quality; environmental monitoring; radioactivity; Bq·L−1; detection limit; sample distillation; organically bound tritium; calibration; quench correction.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 9698:2019 is an International Standard that specifies a laboratory method using liquid scintillation counting to determine tritium activity concentration in aqueous samples.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers sampling considerations, optional pretreatment (e.g., distillation), instrument calibration and quench correction, counting protocols, blank and background control, calculation of activity concentration, limits of detection and uncertainty estimation, and reporting requirements for tritium in water. It does not directly address organically bound tritium without additional chemical processing.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Environmental and public-health laboratories, water utilities, nuclear facility monitoring teams, regulatory agencies, research institutions and contractors involved in tritium analysis in water.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 9698:2019 is the current published edition (Edition 3, May 2019). Previous editions include ISO 9698:2010 and ISO 9698:1989. A committee draft for a future revision has been developed, so users should check national or ISO catalogs for any newer editions or amendments.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: While ISO 9698 is a stand‑alone method for tritium measurement, it is typically used alongside other standards in the water quality and radioanalytical domains (for example the ISO 5667 series on water sampling and standards on detection limits and measurement uncertainty).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Tritium; liquid scintillation counting; water quality; radioactivity measurement; Bq·L−1; detection limit; sample distillation; quench correction; environmental monitoring.