Destructive analysis in safeguards verifications. Evaluation of measurement performance

The IAEA Department of Safeguards has set up a system of destructive analytical services which provides to the Divisions of Operations the support needed for efficient and effective implementation of destructive analysis for independent verifications of nuclear materials subject to safeguards. In addition to offering support in sampling and transport procedures and providing analytical capacity, these services include data evaluation. The paper concentrates on two objectives of the evaluation of the quality of destructive analytical data, based on operator-Agency comparisons: the estimation of measurement performance for given material types and characteristics by the pooling of data from all facilities on an annual basis, and the estimation of measurement performance for individual strata in individual facilities. For both objectives typical examples are shown which are based on operator-Agency comparisons, covering the period 1981-1985. The quality of the data is generally satisfying; however, some deficiencies are identified and discussed. (author)