ML20214L127

Radiation Control & Safety Manual

ML20214L127
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Site:	05000538
Issue date:	05/22/1987
From:	MEMPHIS STATE UNIV., MEMPHIS, TN
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ML20214L124	List: ML20214L120 ML20214L127
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PROC-870522, NUDOCS 8705290201
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T5 RADIATION CONTROL AND SAFETY MANUAL

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MIIMPHIS STATE UNIVERSITY RADIATION CONTROL AND SAFETY MANUAL INTRODUCTION l, Memphis State University operates under regulations established by the Tennessee Department of Public Health, Division of Occupational and Radiological Health and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S) . The purpose of this manual is to provide a set of rules and procedures govern-ing the possession and use of radioactive materials and radiation producing devices owned or controlled by Memphis State University in order to insure compliance with these regulations.

The Radiation Control and Safety Committee (RCSC) governs the possession and use of radioactiva materials and other sources of radiation on the MSU campus and any other area controlled by MSU. The members of this committee are appointed by the President and are selected from the faculty and staff on the basis of their knowledge and experience with radiation and radioactive materials.

The Radiological Safety Officer (RS0) is the chief administrative officer for the radiation control and safety program. He operates under the supervision of the Radiation Control and Safety Committee.

The duties of the RCSC and the RSO are stated in appendix I. j 1

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3 STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES I. Dnergency Procedures In the event of a spill or other accident involving radiation or radioactive materials, the following procedures should be followed:

A. Minor Spills or Contanination of Surfaces

1. The laboratory supervisor vill notify all personnel in the l

vicinity immediately.

2. The extent of contamination will be determined and appro-priate measures taken to prevent further spread.

{ 3. Individuals in the room or area who might be contaminated 1

will be checked and instructed to change clothing and wash i

affected areas if necessary.

4. The contaminated surfaces will be cleaned.

5. A report will be made to the Radiological Safety Officer.

B. Hajor Spills or Accidents Involving Radiation Hazard to Personnel

1. The laboratory supervisor or other person in charge of the laboratory will take charge of the emergency.

2. All personnel in the room or area vill be notified to vacate immediately.

3. Any action that can be taken inmediately to prevent the

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spread of contamination such as closing doors, shutting off ventilating systems, spreading absorbent material, etc., will be taken provided such action does not cause excess radiation exposure or other danger to individuals involved.

4. The person in charge will notify the Radiological Safety Officer or the University Security Department if the accident occurs during other than normal working hours.

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5. Individuals involved will be checked for contamination and instructed to change clothing and wash s.ffected areas if necessary.

6. If there are injuries requiring medical attention, the University Health Center will be notified and if necessary the victim (s) will be transported to City of Hemphis Hospital by Hemphis Fire Department Ambulance Service.

7. Contaminated areas will be defined and posted.

8. A clean-up plan will be devised and decontamination will proceed as soon as practicable.

9. An investigation will be made by the Radiological Safety Officer and/or the Radiation Control and Safety Committee.

I C. Accidents Involving the Release of Airborne Radioactive Materials

1. All personnel will be notified to vacate the area.

2. All fans and ventilating : systems will be shut down and the individual in charge will, if possible, secure all doors and vents and attempt to isolate and seal the area.

3. The individual in charge will notify the Radiological l

Safety Office or the University Security Department.

4. The hazard will be evaluated and the equipment necessary for safe re-entry will be obtained.

5. The area vill be surveyed and decontamination will be per-formed as soon as practicable.

D. Follow-up Procedures for All Incidents

1. A report will be made to the Radiological Safety Officer by the laboratory supervisor. Except for very minor incidents the RSO will conduct a separate investigation w

5 and report to the Radiation Control and Safety Committee.

The Committee will determine what changes are necessary or desirable to prevent further occurances.

2. If there is a possibility that any individual has ingested or inhaled radioactive material, procedures will be ini-tiated to determine the extent of internal contamination and the radiation dose received. Procedures such as urine or fecal counts will be done locally under supervision of the Radiological Safety Officer. Medical assistance will be obtained if necessary. If additional procedures such as whole-body counting are required, the individual will be transported to a_ facility capable of the required procedure.

3. All clean-up work will be done in a manner that will mini-mize the exposure of personnel and spread of contamination.

Any release of radioactive material during clean-up will conform to the requirements of RHS 2.106 and RHS 2.301.

II. Procedure for Obtaining Radioactive Materials Radioactive materials may be purchased or obtained by any department or unit of the University subject to the following conditions:

A. Prior approval of the Radiological Safety Office must be obtained before purchasing or bringing onto the HSU campus any radioactive materials. Approval forms may be obtained from the Radiological Safety Office.

B. The individual purchasing or obtaining radioactive materials for use on the MSU campus or any other area controlled by MSU must be licensed to use the materials by a license granted by the Tennessee Public Hecith Department or the Nuclear Regulatory

6 Commission (U.S.) . That individual, designated the individual user, will be the person held accountable for the material until it is transferred to another individual user who can legally accept it or until it is properly disposed of. All transfers must be reported to the Radiological Safety Office.

C. All shipments of radioactive material onto the MSU campus must be made to:

Office of Safety Services .

Psychology Lecture Hall Room 100 Hemphis State IJniversity Memphis, Tennessee 38152 The radioactive source (s) will be received and checked by the Radiological Safety Office and then delivered to the individual user. Each source will be assigned a control number for inventory purposes.

l III. Use of Radioactive Materials for Experimental Purposes Laboratory procedures involving radioactive isotopes must be supervised by an individual licensed to do so by the Tennessee Department of Public Health or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Experbsents involving radioactive isotopes in quantities greater than two times the amounts specified in RHS Schedule 8-2 (see appendix II) require prior approval of the Radi'ation Control and Safety Co=mittee for each new experiment. Once a proc'edure is approved, it may be repeated without additional approval provided the amount of radioactive material involved is not increased more than 25% above the authorized amount. In the case of continuous or repeated use of an isotope for an approved procedure, the quan-tity used weekly will be subject to the above lbsits provided the Rev. 12/1/80

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7 total quantity involved in the experiment at any one time is not more than 25% above the authorized amount.

Requests for approval of experimental procedures should be made in the form of a letter or memo to the Chairman of the RCSC and should clearly state:

1. The individual who will direct the experiment and be responsible for the radioactive material involved.

2. The names and social security numbers of all individuals who will work with or in the presence of the materials.

3. The training and qualifications of all individuals involved with particular emphasis on training and exper-ience in handling radioactive materials.

4. The isotopes and quantities involved.

5. A brief description of the experiment with an analysis of the radiation hazards involved including external l

exposure and ingestion or inhalation.

6. A description of the facility where the experiment will be performed.

7. A description of any special precautions that will be taken to insure that radiation exposures to individuals are kept as low as reasonably acheivable.

IV. Worker Classification For purposes of radiation protection, workers will be classified as follows:

A. Non-Radiation Workers

• This category is intended primarily for workers at the Ccater for Nuclear Studies and applies to those individuals who work

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near or adjacent to radiation areas or areas where radioactive materials or other radiation sources are kept but whose work does not require them to enter these areas or handle radio-active materials or other radiation sources. They do not ordinarily wear personnel monitoring equipment. Their training consists of a short (approximately one hour) lecture and/or discussion with the Radiological Safety Officer or his repre-sentative during which the items of information prescribed by 10 CFR 19.12 are given to them.

B. Radiation Workers Radiation workers are individuals who in the course of their employment or training may be required to work in radiation areas and/or handle radioactive materials or other radiation sources. They will wear personnel monitoring equipment as required by 10 CFR 20. 202 and RHS 2.202.

Training for radiation workers will consist of a course of instruction following approximately the outline given in appendix III and consisting of at least six hours of instruction given by the Radiological Safety Officer or his representative and an examination of at least ten questions and/or problems for which th* minimum passing grade will be 70% correct.

The Radiological Safety Officer may grant exenptions from the training requirement for individuals who present satisfactory evidence that they have previously received training and/or experience equivalent to the radiation worker training course.

The Radiological Safety Officer may require individuals

9 requesting exemption to pass an examination equivalent to that given at the end of the worker training course.

Additional training and instruction may be required by the Radiation Control and Safety Committee for individuals using or desiring to use radioactive materials in large quantities or radiation sources for which there are extraordinary hazards or special operating requirements or when it is required by license agreement.

C. Radiation Technician This category is intended primarily for the Center for Nuclear Studies and applies to those individuals whose training and experience is sufficient to enable them to direct the Radiation Safety program for the Center. An individual qualified as radiation technician must be present whenever the AGN - 201 reactor is operating unless the RSO is present.

l Their training will consist of a course of instruction equi-valent to the Argonne National Laboratories Radiation Safety l

Technician Training Course (ANL-7291 by Hoe, Lasuk and l Schumacher).

Exemption to this requirement may be granted by the Radiological i Safety Officer provided the individual presents evidence that he has received equivalent training or has at least three years experience in radiation protection and has adequate knowledge of procedures, regulations,, etc. j The Radiological Safety Officer may require an oral and/or written examination before certification as radiation technician.

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10 Any individual may offer previous training and/or experience in lieu of the Memphis State University training program. A certificate of authorization will be issued to the individual if the Radiation Control and Safety Committee determines that the previous training and/or experience is equivalent to the Memphis State University training program. Before issuing the certificate, the Radiation Control and Safety Consnittee may require the individual to pass, with a grade of 70% or more, an examination equivalent to that given in the Memphis State University training program.

Individuals who are using or have used radioactive materials or other radiation sources on the Memphis State University campus on or before January 1,1977, and who are specifically authorized to do so by a Public Health Department or Nuclear Regulatory Commission license valid on that date are exempt from the requirements stated above.

V. Standards for Exposure to Radiation A. Occupational Exposures

1. The maximum radiation dose for any individual may not exceed the following values:

Organ Quarterly Annually

1. Whole body; active blood- 5 rem Ifrem forming organs; lens of eye; or gonads:

2. Hands and forearms; feet 75 rem 18frem and ankles:

3. Skin of whole body: 30 rem 7frem

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11 B. Non-occupational Exposures Non-occupational doses may not exceed one-tenth those given in Par. A.1 above.

C. Exposure of Minors No individual under 18 years of age may receive a dose in excess of one-tenth that given in Par. A.1 above.

VI.

Standards for Radiation and Contamination Levels A. Radiation in Unrestricted Areas No source of radiation owned or controlled by Memphis State University may be stored, used or transferred in such a manner as to produce radiation levels in an unrestricted area such that an individual could receive a dose of: (1) 2 millirems in one hour, or (2) 100 millirems in any seven consecutive days if continuously present.

Exceptions to this rule require prior approval of the Tennessee Department of Public Health.

E.

Concentrations of Radioactive Materials in Effluents Concentrations of radioactive materials in effluents released to unrestricted areas must not exceed the limits specified in RHS Schedule 8 - 1, Table II.

C. Surface Contamination Table tops and other work surfaces where unencapsulated radio-active material is used or handled must be checked at frequent intervals for contamination as follows: An area of approximately 2

100 square centimeters (100 cm ) is wiped thoroughly with filter

12 l paper or other absorbent material. The material is then counted with a counter capable of detecting 1000 dpm (disinte-grations per minute) of activity or less. If the test indicates removable contamination in excess of 1000 dpm per 100 cm2 the area is designated a contamination zone.

D. Radiation Control Zones Restricted areas in which radiation levels exceed those specified in Par. A above or in which contamination levels exceed those specified in Par. C or in which air contamination levels exceed those in RHS Schedule 8 - 1, Table II are desig-nated Radiation Control Zones.

The following definitions apply:

1. Radiation Area - Any area in which an individual may receive a dose of 5 millirem in any one hour or 100 millirem in any five consecutive days.

2. High Radiation Area - Any area in which any individual may receive a dose of 100 millirem in any one hour.

3. Contamination' Zone - An area in which there are surfaces with removable contamination in excess of 1000 dpm as defined in Par. D below, or in which there are air contami-nation levels in excess of those specified in RHS Schedule 8 - 1, Table II.

C. Posting of Signs Each Radiation Area, High Radiation Area and Contamination Zone must be posted with an appropriate sign or signs. Each sign should properly designate the area and should prominently dis-play the standard three-bladed radiation symbol in purple or w..

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, magenta on a yellow background. In general, the designation l

should apply to an entire room or enclosure with signs posted on or adjacent to each door or entrance and located so as to be clearly visible.

If the radiation or contamination hazard exists in only a part of the room or enclosure, the area itself may be posted with appropriate signs provided it is clearly separated or delineated.

In this case, posting of the entire room is not necessary.

VII. Surveys The supervisor of each laboratory or area in which radioactive materials or other radiation sources are used or stored or the Chairman of the department in which the laboratory or area is located must make or cause to be made surveys to determine radiation hazards including surface and air contamination.

Each survey will consist of a measurement (s), using a suitable calibrated survey meter of the radiation exposure rate in millirems per hour in the area. Haasurements will normally be made at a point one meter above the floor. The exposure rate recorded for the area will be the highest value obtained at any point accessible to individuals except if the radiation is produced by a point source (s), the measurement will be made one meter from the source.

The individual responsible for conducting surveys for a department or facility will establish and maintain records showing survey data and radiation exposure raths for each area surveyed. These records will be audited by the Radiation Control and Safety Comnittee or its authorized representative at intervals no greater than six months.

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14 The RSO may make or order made additional surveys or may make or order made surveys on a periodic basis in any laboratory or area when he feels this is necessary to insure compliance with regu-lations or to prevent unnecessary exposure in individuals.

In addition to any other audit or examination, the Radiation Control and Safety Committee will conduct a yearly audit of the radiation protection program of each department or facility. This audit will consist of a review of all procedures, manusls, logs, emergency plans, security plans and other controls necessary to insure compliance with regulations.

VIII. Bioassays Bioassay procedures may be ordered by the RSO for individuals who handle or come in contact with unencapsulated radioactive material.

These may be required on a periodic basis or at any time there is cause to believe the individual may have ingested radioactive material. The type of procedure will be specified by the RSO.

IX. Radioactive Haterial Inventory Hemphis State must maintain a complete inventory of radioactive materials owned or possessed at any time; therefore, each radio-active source will be assigned a control number when it is received.

Each control number will be assigned to a specific laboratory super-visor or department chairman who will be responsible for it.

Periodic inventories will be held at which times the material represented by each control number must be completely accounted for.

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15 A. Storage of Radioactive Materials 1.

All radioactive materials must be stored in a locked or secured place.

Each container must be labeled with the type and amount of the isotope present and the date of assay.

2. If the quantity of material in any room or area exceeds ten times that specified in RHS Schedule 8 - 2, the area must be posted with a sign bearing the standard radiation symbol and the words:

CAUTION - RADIOACTIVE NATERIAL The radiation levels in any unrestricted area produced by

• the material must meet the requirements of RHS 2.105.

B.

Transfer of Radioactive Materials to Other Persons Any transfer of radioactive material to another person who assumes responsiblity for it must be reported to the RSO.

C. Disposal of Radioactive Material

1. Any method of disposal of radioactive waste must meet the requirements of the Tennessee Public Health Department and must be approved by the RSO.

In general, the waste material from any laboratory, area or building should be collected in suitable containers that can be sealed against leakage or spillage and stored in a secure place until disposal through a commercial disposal agency can be arranged. The storage area must be properly posted with signs indicating the presence of radioactive material and any radiation hazard present.

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2. Records must be kept showing the type and quantity of material in waste containers since this is required for shipment and for inventory control.

3. Disposal of limited quantitiu of radioactive material into the sanitary sewerage system is possible provided certain requirements are met. Any disposal by this i

ei method requires prior approval by the RSO.

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18 Appendix I (Continued)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY OFFICER l

1. Prepare and maintain a Radiation Safety Manual for the University.

, 2. Establish and maintain a Record System to keep account of personnel exposures and catalog radioactive sources of radiation producing equipment owned or operated by the University.

3. Establish a procedure for and conduct radiatico surveys of th'e campus and bui'.negs.

} 4. Establish a procedure for and conduct regular audits of the use of radioactive sources and radiation producing equipment by departments and other activities of the University. This audit shall include a review of all departmental procedures, manuals, logs, emergency plans, security plans, and other controls to ensure compliance with applicable standards.

5. Assume responsibility for preparation of state license applications and other documents required for the possession and use of radio-active sources.

6. Assume responsibility for acquisition of radioactive sources ordered by departments and other Uaiversity activities.

7. Establish and conduct regular briefings and training programs for University personnel and other associated groups who might handle radiation producing equipment or radioactive sources. These training programs shall be sufficient to qualify personnel in the use of radio-active materials pursuant to applicable standards.

8. Establish and maintain a Radiation Safety Office which may be con-tacted by University personnel who need assistance in radiation related matters and which can accept reports of accidents and other abnormal occure.nces 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> per day each day of the week.

9. Review and approve procedures and other documents which may require approval of the Radiation Safety Officer pursuant to and prior to their use by University departments and activities.

10. Serve as Secretary of the Radiation Safety Conmittee, or as Chairman if qualified.

11. Establish survey and monitoring equipment calibration programs to ensure accuracy of radiation protection equipment.

12. Enforce the regulations and procedures set forth in the University Radiation Safety manual and by other regulatory agencies to ensure the health and safety of personnel handling University owned and/or operated sources of radiation. .

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19 Appendix II SCHEDULE RHS 8-2 Quantity Bases for Posting and Disposal Requirements Material Microcuries Material Microcuries Americium 241 0.01 Gadolinium 159 100 Antimony 122 100 Gallium 72 10 Antimony 124 10 Germanium 71 100

• Antimony 125 10 Gold 198 10 Arsenic 73 100 Gold 199 100 Arsenic 74 10 Hafnium 181 10 Arsenic 76 10 Holmium 166 100 Arsenic 77 100 Hydrogen 3 1,000 Barium 131 10 Indium 113m 100 Barium 133 10 Indium 114m 10 Barium 140 10 Indium 115m 100 Bismuth 210 1 Indium 115 10 Bromine 82 10 Iodine 125 1 Cadmium 109 10 Iodine 126 1 Cadmium 115m 10 Iodine 129 0.1 Cadmium 115 100 Iodine 131 1 Calcium 45 10 Iodine 132 10 Calcium 47 10 Iodine 133 1 Carbon 14 100 Iodine 134 10 Cerium 141 100 Iodine 135 10 Cerium 143 100 Iridium 192 10 Cerium 144 1 Iridium 194 100 Cesium 131 1,000 Iron 55 100 Cesium 134m 100 Iron 59 10 Cesium 134 1 Krypton 85 100 Cesium 135 10 Krypton 87 10 Cesium 136 10 Lanthanum 140 10 Cesium 137 10 Lutetium 177 100 Chlorine 36 10 Manganese 52 10 Chlorine 38 10 Manganese 54 10 Chromium 51 1,000 Manganese 56 10 Cobalt 58m 10 Mercury 197m 100 Cobalt 58 10 Mercury 197 100 Cobalt 60 1 Mercury 203 Copper 10 64 100 Molybdenum 99 100 Dysprosium 165 10 Neodymium 147 100 Dysprosium 166 100 Neodymium 149 100 Erbium 169 100 Nickel 59 100 Erbium 171 100 Nickel 63 10 Europium 152 9.2h 100

• Nickel 65 100 Europium 152 13yr 1 Niobium 93m 10 Europium 154 1 Niobium 95 10 Europium 155 10 Niobium 97 10 Fluorine 18 1,000 Osmium 185 10 cadolinium 153 10 Osmium 191m 10

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20 Appendix II (Continued)

Haterial Microcuries Material Microcuries Osmium 191 100 Technetium 99 10 Osmium 193 100 Tellurium 125m 10 Palladium 103 100 Tellurium 127m 10 Palladium 109 100 Tellurium 127 100 Phosphorus 32 10 Tellurium 129m 10 Platinum 191 100 Tellurium 129 100 Platinum 193m 100 Tellurium 131m 10 Platinum 193 100 Tellurium 132 10 Platinum 197m 100 Terbium 160 10 -

Platinum 197 100 Thallium 200 100 Plutonium 239 0.01 Thallium 201 100 I

Polonium 210 0.1 Thallium 202 100 Potassium 42 10 Thallium 204 10 Praseodymium 142 100 Thorium 50 Praseodymium 143 100 (natural)

Promethium 147 10 Thulium 170 10 Promethium 149 10 Thulium 171 10 t Radium 226 0.01 Tin 113 10 Rhenium 186 100 Tin 125 10 Rhenium 188 100 Tungsten 181 10 Rhodium 103m 100 Tungstea 185 10 Rhodium 105 100 Tungsten 187 100 Rubidium 86 10 Uranium 50 Rubidium 87 10 Ruthenium (natural) 97 100 Uranium 233 Ruthenium 103 0.01 10 Uraniura 234-Ruthenium 105 10 Uranium 235 Ruthenium 0.01 106 1 Vanadium 48 10 Samarium 151 10 Xenon 131m 1,000 Samarium 153 100 Xenon 133 100 Scandium 46 10 Xenon 135 100 Scandium 47 100 Ytterbium 175 100 Scandium 48 10 Yttrium 90 10 Selenium 75 10 Yttrium 91 10 Silicon 31 100 Yttrium 92 100 Silver 105 10 Yttrium 93 100 Silver 110m 1 Zine 65 10 Silver 111 100 Zinc 69m 100 Sodium 24 10 Zinc 69 1,000 Strontium 85 10 Zirconium 93 10 Strontium 89 1 Zirconium 95 10 Strontium 90 0.1 Zirconium 97 10 Strontium 91 10 Strontium 92 10 Any alpha emitting radionuclide not Sulphur 35 100 Tantalum 182 listed above or mixtures of alpha 10 -

emitters of unknown composition 0.01 Technetium 96 10 Technetium 97m 100 Any radionuclide other than alpha Technetium 97 100 emitting radionuclides, not listed Technetium 99m 100 above or mixtures of beta emitters of unknown composition 0.1

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21 Appendix II (Continued)

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NOTE: For purposes of Sections RBS 2.203 and RHS 2.303, where there is involved a ccanbination of isotopes in known amounts, the limit for the combination should be derived as follows: Determine, for each isotope in the combination, the ratio between the quantity present in the combinat1on and the limit otherwise established for the specific isotope when not in combination. The sum of such ratios for o.11 the isotopes in the combination may not exceed "1" (i.e. , " unity") . Example: For purposes of Section RHS 2.303, if a particular batch contains 20,000 uCi of Au-198 l and 50,000 uCi of C-14, it may also include not more than 300 uCi of I-131. This limit was determined as follows:

20,000 uCi Au198 + 50,000 uCi Cl4 + 300 uci 1131 = 1 100,000 uCi 100,000 uCi 1,000 uCi The denominator in each of the above ratios was obtained by multiplying the figure in the table by 1,000 as provided in Section RHS 2.303.

22 Appendix III OUTLINE FOR RADIATION WORKERS TRAINING COURSE I. Fundamentals of Atomic Structure and Radioactive Decay A. Basic Physics

1. Energy

2. Electric Charge B. Struecure of the Atom

1. Electronic Structure

a. Energy Levels

b. Ionization -

2. Nuclear Structure

a. Protons and Neutrons

b. Atomic No. and Hass No.

c. Isotopes C. Radioactive Decay

1. History

a. Type of Decay

2. Alpha Decay

3. Beta Decay

4. Gamma Emission -

5. Neutron Production II. Radioactive Decay and Radiation A. Half-life B. Properties of Alphas, Bstas, Gammas, X-raye, and Neutrons

1. Methods of Interaction

2. Range and Penetrating Power

3. Shielding C. Concepts of Radiation Units and Dose

1. Definition of Terms III. Radiation A. Ucits - Roentgen, Rad, Rem B. Dose Rate

1. Point Sources and Distance Effects C. Biological Effects

1. Acute

2. Chronic IV. Instruments A. Detection Methods

1. Ionization Devices

2. Scintillation Devices and Other Methods B. Dosimetry

1. Instruments and Calibration

2. Personnel Monitoring

o 23 Appendix III (Continued) -

V. Radiation Protection (I)

A. Protection Philosophy and Standards B. Regulating Agencies

1. Licensing Procedures

2. 10 CFR 19.12 VI. Radiation Protection (II)

A. Laboratory Techniques

1. Contamination

2. Surveys B. Accident and Faergencies O

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, Appendix III (Continued)

TYPICAL EKAMINATION FOR R

RADIATION WORKER CERTIFICATION Question: Name and describe the principle types of radiation one is likely to encounter when working around radioactive materials or nuclear reactors.

Answer: 1. Alpha particles which are Helium-4 nuclei.

2. Beta particles which are high energy electrons, either .

positive or negative.

3. Gamma rays which are photons. ,

4. Neutrons which are neutral particles with approximately the same mass as protons.

Question: Approximately how many half-lives must elapse for 99% of a given quantity of radioactive material to decay?

Answer: 7 Question: Fill in each blank in the following table with either high, medium or low.

(in parentheses)

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Answer:

TYPE PARTICLE RANGE IN MATTER RADIATION HAZARD Internal External Alpha (low) (high) (low) i Beta (medium) (medium) (medium)

Gamma (high) (medium) (high or medium)

Neutron (high) -

(high)

Question: Describe the usual method for determining radiation dose from tritium and explain why ordinary personnel monitoring equip-l ment such as film badges cannot be used.

l Answer: Tritium (Hydrogen-3) emits a very low energy beta particle only. Because of its low energy, this particle is not detected by most monitoring devices. For the same reason

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tritium is an internal radiation hazard only. The internal body burden of tritium can be determined by counting urine samples and from this the internal dose can be determined.

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- o 25 Appendix III (Continued)

Question: What body organ is considered the critical organ for ingested iodine-131.

Answer: The thyroid.

Question: Determine the approximate radiation exposure rate (in roentgens per hour) at a distance of two feet from a point source con-taining 0.5 curies of Cesium-137. (Cesium-137 emits a 0.662 Hav gammaa in 89% of the disintegrations).

Answer: Approximately 0.4 R/hr.

Question: Describe some of the effects produced by chronic, low level l radiation exposure.

Answer: 1. Shortening of the life span.

2. Increased probability of certain diseases, notably certain types of cancer.

3. Increased probability of mutation effects in offspring.

Question: What type of material would be best to shield a high intensity source of: (1) betas, (2) gammas?

Answer: l' . For betas use material of low atomic usaber to minimize the production of brenmastrahlung.

2. For gammas use material of high atomic number such as lead.

Question: What is the maximum dose a radiation worker may receive:

(1) in one quarter, (2) up to the time he is N years old?

Answer: 1. He may ordinarily receive up -to 1 1/4 rem per quarter or a maximum of 3 rem per quarter if certain conditions are met.

2. 5 (N-18) where N is his age in years.

Question: What agencies establish the radiation protection regulations under which Neaphis State University operates?

Answer: The Tennessee Public Health Service and the Nuclear Regulatory l Commission.

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c, , s 26 Appendix IV -

SUGGESTED DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES Serious decontamination problems involving hazardous radiation levels and/or danger of releasing harmful levels of radioactivity to the environment should be handled under the direct supervision of the Radio-logical Safety Officer or his representative. Minor spills or personnel contamination problems may be handled by the laboratory supervisor.

The following procedures are given as guidelines. Perform them in approximately the order given until the contamination problem is eliminated. If there are any doubts, request assistance from the RSO.

t In all cases, a report on the accident and clean-up should be sent to the RSO.

I. For skin and hands:

1. Wash with mild soap or detergent and water for two to three minutes.

2. Honitor surface with survey meter.

3. Repeat several times if necessary. (Commercial waterless hand cleaner may be used as an alternative if desired. It is especially useful for oily or greasy contaminants.)

4. If the above fails to reduce contamination to a satisfactory level, then scrub with a soft brush using heavy lather.

Monitor and repeat if necessary. .

5. If there is still contamination, scrub with Lava soap and water.

Apply hand cream or lotion to prevent chapping.

6. As a last resort, scrub with a mixture of laundry detergent, such as Tide, or a special decontamination detergent (read the label first) mixed with water and corn meal to form a paste.

Follow with lotion or hand cream.

27 Appendix IV (Continued)

7. If contamination still remains, contact the RSO for assistance.

8. Contamination on skin and hands should be reduced as low as reasonably achievable but in no case should be allowed to remain above the following levels:

1. Alpha - 100 dis / min per 100 cm2,

2. Beta-gamma - 0.3 mR/hr on hands and 0.1 mR/hr on other

• surfaces.

II. For clothing:

1. Wash if contamination is low.

l I 2. Store and allow radioactive material to decay if activity is short lived.

3. If necessary, treat as solid vaste and dispose of.

III. For walls and floors:

1. Vacuum using a high efficiency filter on the exhaust.

2. Scrub and mop with detergent. (Be careful not to spread contamination. Waste water will be contaminated and must be treated a.s such.)

3. Other procedures such as scrubbing with sodium hydroxide or dilute acid may be required but should be done very carefully.

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