Environmental Monitoring Laboratory of Russia's Kola NPP Completes Interlaboratory Comparison Tests

The production environmental monitoring laboratory of the environmental protection department at Russia's Kola Nuclear Power Plant (Kola NPP) has recently completed interlaboratory comparison tests and received the corresponding certificate and conclusion documents for participation in the proficiency testing program. The comparison tests demonstrated that the laboratory's chemical analysis results meet the requirements and that the relevant measurement data are reliable.

In June 2026, the Kola NPP production environmental monitoring laboratory received wastewater and natural water samples. Laboratory personnel were required to determine the concentrations of 8 target indicators within permissible error limits. The test results showed that the laboratory completed the specified tasks and the measurement results met the requirements.

Natalya Smirnova, head of the Kola NPP production environmental monitoring laboratory, noted that participation in interlaboratory comparison tests is a mandatory requirement for laboratories included in the national accreditation system. Within a five-year cycle, a laboratory must participate in relevant comparisons for all methods within its scope of accreditation. A satisfactory result confirms the laboratory's competence and the credibility of its measurement results; in the event of an unsatisfactory result, the laboratory must identify the causes, develop and implement corrective actions, and verify the effectiveness of the improvements through repeated participation in comparisons.

The Kola NPP stated that participation in interlaboratory comparison tests not only serves to confirm the laboratory's technical competence but also helps increase regulatory authorities' confidence in its measurement reports. Alexander Kuchin, Deputy Chief Engineer for Radiation Protection at the plant, stated that these tests confirmed the high level of chemical analysis capability of the production environmental monitoring laboratory of the environmental protection department.

Interlaboratory comparison tests involve multiple laboratories measuring or testing the same samples under identical or pre-agreed conditions, followed by comparative evaluation of the results. Such tests typically include organization, test execution, and result assessment, and are primarily used to confirm laboratory competence, ensure comparability of measurement results, and verify the reliability of research and test outcomes.

The Kola NPP is located in Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is a nuclear power plant operated by Rosenergoatom and is the main electricity generation facility in Murmansk Oblast. Situated approximately 200 km south of the city of Murmansk on the shore of Lake Imandra, the plant currently operates four VVER-440 pressurized water reactor units with an individual capacity of 440 MW each, generating approximately 60% of the regional electricity balance.