Comparison of Currie Method and ISO Standard 11929 Method of the Minimum Detectable Activity Concentration

Abstract

As a prerequisite for radiation monitoring, it is necessary to assess whether the detection device and analytical method can reliably monitor the radionuclides in a nuclear system or not. A key physical quantity is the minimum detectable activity concentration (MDAC) of the radionuclides to be measured with a certain level of confidence for a given monitoring system. For the high resolution γ spectrometry monitoring system, it is essential to determine the MDAC qualitatively and quantitatively. There are several methods for calculating the MDAC. In these methods, Currie method and ISO standard 11929 method, have been widely used. This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Currie method and ISO standard 11929 method in the term of the ranges of application form the perspective of the development, which can provide a reference for the radioactivity measurement in nuclear power plants.