Production and Characterisation of Reference Materials in Support of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) Industries

Naturally occurring radioactive material is a problematic by-product of a range of industries and needs to be handled, stored, processed and disposed of in a safe and economic manner. Accurate characterisation of such material should be underpinned by measurement of certified reference materials in order to validate the methods employed and ensure quality control. This work highlights the current shortage of suitable reference materials and the approach being followed to address this issue, initially for the steel and oil and gas industries.