PRIMER GAMA 2025 Exercise
F2 Department, ELME, and SVPIS, with support from the Oncology Institute Ljubljana, organized comparative measurements of radioactive source activities with gamma spectrometry as a part of the PRIMER GAMA Exercise on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Jožef Stefan Institute Reactor Center.
The purpose of this exercise is to provide organizations and individuals from Slovenia and abroad, who perform various types of gamma spectrometry measurements (e.g., in radiation protection, research, etc.), with the opportunity to test their knowledge and equipment in different tasks related to radioactive source detection, to exchange experiences, and to improve knowledge and work procedures through mutual comparison of results. The first set of tasks involved measuring the activity and specific activity of different types of samples (air filter, water solution, artificial fertilizer, industrial material) using gamma spectrometry. Participants performed these measurements in mobile laboratories or outdoors, along with measuring the activity of calibration sources. The second set of tasks involved in-situ gamma spectrometry activity measurements, where participants had to identify, locate, and characterize sources hidden in a vertical pipe underground, sources hidden in barrels, and sources in a container made of unknown material. The third set of tasks included two short measurements of artificial soil contamination activity concentration (simulated with sources hidden in the ground), and one longer measurement of specific activity and activity concentration of natural soil contamination. The large number of both simpler and more complex tasks required participants to work intensively and attentively, with a certain degree of improvisation.
In recent years, interest in participating in such measurements has steadily increased, which is why this year the comparative measurements of radioactive source activities using gamma spectrometry were organized separately from the comparative dose rate measurements for the first time. The exercise was attended by over 40 representatives from 8 different organizations from Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Participating institutions included: JSI (Jožef Stefan Institute), ARAO, ZVD, Oncology Institute Ljubljana, IMI and IRB from Croatia, SURO from the Czech Republic, and Comando VV.F. di Udine from Italy.
