Reference laboratory for determining radioactive substances in food chains
The reference laboratory shall be responsible for the scientific guarantee in fields related to the detection of radioactive contamination in foods and the food chain, implementation and comparison of the respective laboratory methods, safeguarding of the diagnostic standards, and preparation of opinions and assessments in the area of its professional activity.
The presence of surveyed radioisotopes is detected in non-treated, native samples by measuring in standard geometry within a spectrometric route calibrated by standards provided by the Czech Institute of Metrology using coaxial detectors made of very clean germanium.
Spectrometric determinations are conducted within three measuring routes in standard geometry using Marinelli vessels, each having the volume of 490 ml.
The method is accredited by CIA under CSN ISO 17025 and carried out as per SOP 70.70 – determining the gamma-ray emitting activity using the gamma-spectrometry method.
The reference laboratory is part of the national radiological monitoring network (RMS). It coordinates the gamma-spectrometric laboratories of state veterinary institutes and provides the transmission of data, in the specified format, to the SÚJB system.