[en] The United Nations Environment Programme has performed a field survey at 11 sites located in Kosovo, where depleted uranium (DU) ammunitions were used by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during the last Balkans conflict (1999). Soil sampling was performed to assess the spread of DU ground contamination around and within the NATO target sites and the migration of DU along the soil profile. The ²³⁴U/²³⁸U and ²³⁵U/²³⁸U activity concentration ratios have been used as an indicator of natural against anthropogenic sources of uranium. The results show that levels of ²³⁸U activity concentrations in soils above 100 Bq.kg^-1 can be considered a 'tracer' of the presence of DU in soils. The results also indicate that detectable ground surface contamination by DU is limited to areas within a few metres from localised points of concentrated contamination caused by penetrator impacts. Vertical distribution of DU along the soil profile is measurable up to a depth of 10-20 cm. This latter aspect is of particular relevance for the potential risk of future contamination of groundwater. (author)

[en] Full text: The 2000/60/EC requires EQS values for a list of priority chemical substances. Among them Hg has an EQS value that is really low (0.05 μg/L) in comparison with the analytical methods available. In this framework CCQM has organized the pilot study CCQM-P100.2 to support the NMIs in developing appropriate analytical methods for this challenging task. In this paper, the results of ISPRA (former APAT) in this comparison, a detailed description of the ICPMS analytical method developed to determine Hg in water at EQS concentration level, and uncertainty budget, according to the GUM approach, will be discussed in detail. Results show that the analytical method is appropriate to measure Hg at the EQS value, having reported a bias of around 4 %. (author)

[en] Compost is the decomposed remnants of organic materials (usually those with plant origins) and it is used in gardening and agriculture, mixed in with the soil. It improves soil structure, increases the amount of organic matter, and provides nutrients. Compost is a common name for humus, which is the result of the decomposition of organic matter. Generally, compost is the raw material obtained by the aerobic decomposition of the organic residues of the municipal waste or of the vegetable market waste. Composting is the industrial operation to produce compost on a large scale and it is the controlled decomposition technique of organic matter. Rather than allowing nature to take its slow course, a composter provides an optimal environment in which decomposer can thrive. The compost raw material used to prepare the APAT-RM004 reference material has been obtained from an aerobic composting plant located near Rome (Italy). This plant produces compost from organic waste originating from municipal routine plant trimmings, pruning, lawn mowing and wastes deriving from vegetable markets. The homogeneity test was carried out on 10 different units (bottles) sequentially selected over the whole bottling process. This study has been carried by measuring the total contents of C by CHN-S considering a sample intake of 0.02g and by the determination of the Hg content by direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80) considering a sample intake of 0.5g. Both techniques achieve high precision levels and require little or no sample processing prior to analysis

[en] Sampling and sample preparation are known to carry large, but typically unknown uncertainty contributions to the final analytical data and there is a lack of qualitative and quantitative data on the comparability of results achieved by different sampling methods. To this end an intercomparison exercise was carried out to compare different methods for the collection of suspended material used for the monitoring of environmental radioactivity in freshwater bodies. This paper presents the results of this intercomparison exercise in which 'in situ' particulate sampling devices were compared in field exercises performed in the Kiev Reservoir (Ukraine) and in the Po River (Italy). The main criterion for this intercomparison was the agreement among the ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations associated with the suspended particles expressed as Bq x g^-1 and among the (C/N) molar ratios measured on the suspended particles. In addition, an estimate of the uncertainties associated with each measuring method has been performed. (author)

[en] Full text: The evaluation of the pattern of environmental contamination is vitally dependent on reliable data, which derive from complex analytical processes, in which each step of the process, i.e. sampling, sample transportation, treatment, analysis and evaluation and interpretation of the results can affect to some degree the accuracy and precision of the final analytical data. Advances in analytical techniques and improved laboratory practice have reduced many sources of uncertainties which can originate during the laboratory analytical procedures, but the assessment of uncertainties associated with sampling of environmental components has not been fully considered in the past, since collaborative field studies require noteworthy organisational efforts. Sampling and sample preparation/processing are known to carry large, but typically unknown uncertainty contribution to the final analytical data and there is a lack of qualitative and quantitative data on the comparability of results achieved by the different sampling methods. To this end an intercomparison programme was founded by the European Commission, in which Institutions from the European Union and from Ukraine participated using their own in situ methods for collection of suspended material and fixation of dissolved radiocaesium in fresh water bodies. This paper presents the outcome of this study: limits and field applicability of the most widely used sampling methodologies for water and suspended particle in aquatic environments. (author)