Annexes to COM(2012)147 - Requirements for the protection of the health of the general public with regard to radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption

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ANNEX I Parametric values for radon and tritium and parametric values for Total Indicative Dose, for other radioactive substances, in water intended for human consumption

Radioactivity

Parameter || Parametric value || Unit || Notes

Radon || 100 || Bq/l ||

Tritium || 100 || Bq/l ||

Total indicative dose || 0,10 || mSv/year || (Note 1)

Note 1: Excluding tritium, potassium -40, radon and short-lived radon decay products

ANNEX II Monitoring of radioactive substances

1. General principles and monitoring frequencies

A Member State is not required to monitor drinking water for tritium or radioactivity to establish total indicative dose where it is satisfied on the basis of other monitoring that the levels of both tritium and of the calculated total indicative dose are well below the parametric value. Monitoring drinking water for radon is not required where a Member State is satisfied on the basis of other monitoring that the levels of radon are well below the parametric value. In these cases, it shall communicate the grounds for its decision to the Commission, including the results of the other monitoring carried out.

2. Radon and Tritium

Monitoring of drinking water for radon or tritium shall be carried out where a source of radon or tritium is present within the catchment and it cannot be shown on the basis of other surveillance programmes or investigations that the level of radon or tritium is well below its parametric indicator value 100 Bq/l. Where monitoring for radon or tritium is required, it shall be carried out at the audit frequency.

3. Total Indicative Dose

Monitoring of drinking water for Total Indicative Dose (TID) shall be carried out where a source of artificial or enhanced natural radioactivity is present within the catchment and it cannot be shown on basis of other surveillance programmes or investigations that the level of TID is well below its parametric indicator value 0.1 mSv/year. Where monitoring for artificial radionuclide levels is required, it shall be carried out at the audit frequency indicated in the table. Where monitoring for natural radionuclide levels is required, Member States shall define the frequency of the monitoring having regard to all relevant information available on temporal variations of natural radionuclide levels in different types of waters. Depending on the expected variations, monitoring frequency may vary from a single check measurement to the audit frequency. Where only a single check for natural radioactivity is required, a re-check shall be required at least where any change occurs in relation to the supply likely to influence the concentrations of radionuclides in the drinking water.

Where methods for removing radionuclides from drinking water have been applied in order to ensure that a parametric value is not exceeded, monitoring shall be carried out at the audit frequency.

Where results of other surveillance programmes or investigations than those required as provided in the first paragraph of this point are used to ensure compliance with this Directive, the Member State shall communicate the grounds for its decision to the Commission, including the relevant results of these monitoring programmes or investigations.

4. The audit frequency of monitoring shall be as set out in the following table:

TABLE Audit frequency of monitoring for water intended for human consumption supplied from a distribution network

Volume of water distributed or produced each day within a supply zone (Notes 1 and 2) m³ || Number of samples per year (Notes 3 )

≤ 100 || (Note 4)

> 100 ≤ 1 000 || 1

> 1 000 ≤ 10 000 || 1 + 1 for each 3 300 m³/d and part thereof of the total volume

> 10 000 ≤ 100 000 || 3 + 1 for each 10 000 m³/d and part thereof of the total volume

> 100 000 || 10 + 1 for each 25 000 m³/d and part thereof of the total volume

Note 1: A supply zone is a geographically defined area within which water intended for human consumption comes from one or more sources and within which water quality may be considered as being approximately uniform.

Note 2: The volumes are calculated as averages taken over a calendar year. A Member State may use the number of inhabitants in a supply zone instead of the volume of water to determine the minimum frequency, assuming a water consumption of 200 l/day/capita.

Note 3: As far as possible, the number of samples should be distributed equally in time and location.

Note 4: The frequency is to be decided by the Member State concerned.

ANNEX III Sampling and analysis methods

1. Screening for compliance with total indicative dose (TID)

Member States may use screening methods for gross alpha activity and gross beta activity to monitor for the parametric indicator value for TID, excluding tritium, potassium–40, radon and short-lived radon decay products.

If the gross alpha and the gross beta activity are less than 0.1 Bq/l and 1.0 Bq/l respectively, the Member State may assume that the TID is less than the parametric indicator value of 0.1 mSv/year and no radiological investigation is needed unless it is known from other sources of information that specific radionuclides are present in the water supply and are liable to cause a TID in excess of 0.1 mSv/year.

If the gross alpha activity exceeds 0.1 Bq/l or the gross beta activity exceeds 1.0 Bq/l, analysis for specific radionuclides shall be required. The radionuclides to be measured shall be defined by Member States taking into account all relevant information about likely sources of radioactivity. Since elevated levels of tritium may indicate the presence of other artificial radionuclides, tritium, gross alpha activity and gross beta activity should be measured in the same sample.

In replacement of gross alpha and gross beta activity screening discussed above, Member States may decide to use other reliable screening methods for radionuclides to indicate the presence of radioactivity in drinking water. If one of the activity concentrations exceeds 20% of its reference concentration or the tritium concentration exceeds its parametric value of 100 Bq/l, an analysis of additional radionuclides shall be required. The radionuclides to be measured shall be defined by Member States taking into account all relevant information about likely sources of radioactivity.

2. Calculation of the Total Indicative Dose (TID)

The TID is the committed effective dose for one year of intake resulting from all the radionuclides whose presence in a water supply has been detected, both of natural and artificial origin, excluding tritium, potassium–40, radon and short-lived radon decay products. The TID shall be calculated from the radionuclide concentrations and the dose coefficients for adults laid down in Annex III, Table A of Directive 96/29/Euratom or more recent information recognised by the competent authorities in the Member State. Where the following formula is satisfied, Member States may assume that the TID is less than the parametric indicator value of 0.1 mSv/year and no further investigation shall be required:

 (1)

where  

Ci(obs) = observed concentration of radionuclide i

Ci(ref)  = reference concentration of radionuclide i

            n          = number of radionuclides detected.

Where the formula is not satisfied, the parametric value shall only be regarded as having been exceeded if the radionuclides are persistently present at similar activity concentrations for a full year. Member States shall define the extent of resampling necessary to ensure that the measured values are representative for an average activity concentration for a full year.

Reference concentrations for radioactivity in drinking water1

Origin || Nuclide || Reference concentration

Natural || U-2382 || 3.0 Bq/l

U-2342 || 2.8 Bq/l

Ra-226 || 0.5 Bq/l

Ra-228 || 0.2 Bq/l

Pb-210 || 0.2 Bq/l

Po-210 || 0.1 Bq/l

Artificial || C-14 || 240 Bq/l

Sr-90 || 4.9 Bq/l

Pu-239/Pu-240 || 0.6 Bq/l

Am-241 || 0.7 Bq/l

Co-60 || 40 Bq/l

Cs-134 || 7.2 Bq/l

Cs-137 || 11 Bq/l

I-131 || 6.2 Bq/l

1 This table includes the most common natural and artificial radionuclides. Reference concentrations for other radionuclides can be calculated using the dose coefficients for adults laid down in Annex III, Table A of Directive 96/29/Euratom, or more recent information recognised by the competent authorities in the Member State, and by assuming an intake of 730 litres per year.

2 One milligram (mg) of natural uranium contains 12.3 Bq of U-238 and 12.3 Bq of U-234. This table allows only for the radiological properties of uranium, not for its chemical toxicity.

3. Performance characteristics and methods of analysis

For the following radioactivity parameters, the specified performance characteristics are that the method of analysis used must, as a minimum, be capable of measuring concentrations equal to the parametric value with a limit of detection specified.

Parameters || Limit of detection (Note 1) || Notes

Radon || 10 Bq/l || Note 2, 3

Tritium || 10 Bq/l || Note 2, 3

Gross alpha Gross beta || 0.04 Bq/l 0.4 Bq/l || Note 2, 4 Note 2, 4

U-238 || 0.02 Bq/l || Note 2, 6

U-234 || 0.02 Bq/l || Note 2, 6

Ra-226 || 0.04 Bq/l || Note 2

Ra-228 || 0.08 Bq/l || Note 2, 5

Pb-210 || 0.02 Bq/l || Note 2

Po-210 || 0.01 Bq/l || Note 2

C-14 || 20 Bq/l || Note 2

Sr-90 || 0.4 Bq/l || Note 2

Pu-239/Pu-240 || 0.04 Bq/l || Note 2

Am-241 || 0.06 Bq/l || Note 2

Co-60 || 0.5 Bq/l || Note 2

Cs-134 || 0.5 Bq/l || Note 2

Cs-137 || 0.5 Bq/l || Note 2

I-131 || 0.5 Bq/l || Note 2

Note 1: the limit of detection shall be calculated according to ISO 11929-7, Determination of the detection limit and decision thresholds for ionizing radiation measurements-Part 7: Fundamentals and general applications, with probabilities of errors of 1st and 2nd kind of 0.05 each

Note 2: measurement uncertainties shall be calculated and reported as complete standard uncertainties, or as expanded standard uncertainties with an expansion factor of 1.96, according to the ISO Guide for the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (ISO, Geneva 1993, corrected reprint Geneva, 1995)

Note 3: the limit of detection for radon and for tritium is 10% of its parametric value of 100 Bq/l

Note 4: the limit of detection for gross alpha and gross beta activities are 40% of the screening values of 0.1 and 1.0 Bq/l respectively

Note 5: This Limit of Detection applies only to routine screening; for a new water source for which it is plausible that Ra-228 exceeds 20% of the reference concentration, the limit of detection for the first check shall be 0.02 Bq/l for Ra-228 nuclide specific measurements. This shall also apply where a subsequent re-check is required.

Note 6: The low value of the specified detection limit for U is due to taking into account the chemotoxicity of uranium.

[1]               OJ C , , p.

[2]               OJ C , , p.

[3]               OJ C , , p.

[4]               OJ L 159, 29.6.1996, p. 1

[5]               OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 32

[6]               OJ L 164, 26.6.2009, p. 45

[7]               OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67

[8]               OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 3

[9]               OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p.85