The Nuclear Signatures Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation Programme (NUSIMEP) was established in 1996 to support the growing need to trace and measure the isotopic abundances of elements characteristic for the nuclear fuel cycle present in trace amounts in the environment. Such measurements are required for safeguards applications, for checking and controlling of spillages of nuclear material into the environment, as well as for the implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Laboratories analysing environmental samples are invited to participate in these external quality control exercises to demonstrate and assess their ability to carry out precise measurements in particular on trace amounts of uranium and plutonium. The demonstrated ‘state of the art’ for the measurements is presented in the report to participants published at the end of each campaign.