ISO International Standard

This document specifies the determination of radium-226 (²²⁶Ra) and radium-228 (²²⁸Ra) activity concentrations in drinking water samples by chemical separation of radium and its measurement using liquid scintillation counting.

Massic activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra which can be measured by this test method utilizing currently available liquid scintillation counters go down to 0,01 Bq/kg for ²²⁶Ra and 0,06 Bq/kg for ²²⁸Ra for a 0,5 kg sample mass and a 1 h counting time in a low background liquid scintillation counter^[8].

The test method can be used for the fast detection of contamination of drinking water by radium in emergency situations.