Ten years' operation of the IAEA Safeguards Analytical Laboratory and Network of Analytical Laboratories

The IAEA Safeguards Analytical Laboratory (SAL) and Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) were established in 1976 to perform the isotopic and chemical analyses required for independent safeguards verifications. The paper describes the evolution of the system since its conception and the trends expected in the near future. The load of inspection samples has tripled in the ten years of operation and is expected to double again in the next five years. Most of this increase will be accommodated by the NWAL, which will then handle 50% of the load. The paper discusses the impact of an optimized use of complementary approaches involving non-destructive assay measurements, the use of installed instrumentation in the operator's or State's laboratories or the operation of independent on-site verification laboratories. Major advances are anticipated in isotopic analyses by mass spectrometry and radiometry, as well as in elemental assays with automated titration, coulometry, absorption spectrophotometry and K-edge absorptiometry. The quality control of on-site verification measurements will gradually become a major function of the SAL and NWAL. (author)