EPA-Ultra low level liquid scintillation counter

Tender description

This purchase will improve EPA’s capability for verification that foodstuffs and environmental samples contain no more than permitted levels of alpha and beta radioactivity. It focuses on reducing minimum detectable levels of radioactivity, to enable faster emergency response, faster certification of Irish produce, and to improve stakeholder engagement by providing routine measurement of environmental background levels. The chosen model will exceed the basic capabilities required in Directive 2013/51 for naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), specifically radon in drinking water, and will facilitate further development of techniques for flexible high sensitivity analysis of artificial radionuclides. Liquid scintillation counting is a key technique for EPA’s ongoing radiological monitoring programme and its response to Nuclear Emergencies. The new liquid scintillation counter is intended to complement and ultimately replace aging equipment, to futureproof compatibility of laboratory equipment with EPA IT systems, in addition to facilitating the development of new and improved procedures for emergency response and environmental monitoring. These will focus on bringing new emergency protocols such as cherenkov counting towards routine use in the laboratory preparedness, and implementing background environmental analysis of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM, a priority area deriving from EC directives 2013/51 and 2013/59).