ML23156A611
| ML23156A611 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/10/1968 |
| From: | NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PRM-30, PRM-32 | |
| Download: ML23156A611 (1) | |
Text
ADAMS Template: SECY-067 DOCUMENT DATE: 05/10/1968 TITLE: PRM by Canrad Precision Industries Parts 30 and 32 Regulating Tritium and Promethium 147 CASE
REFERENCE:
PRM on 10 CFR Parts 30 and 32 KEYWORD: RULEMAKING COMMENTS Document Sensitivity Non-sensitive - SUNSI Review Complete
- UNITED~ T E S A TOMIC ENERGY COM MISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20545
[IIKET NUMBER PffiTION RULE PRM MAY 3 1 1968
[O~t!ETE D Mr. Intaa reuer ~mm Dtrectow *f Applt* Reaaanh AY 311968 Canrad tnclal* 1Gdutrle1* *
- Office of the Secretary 630 fifth Avemnt abllc Prnmdings New Yon* New York 10020 Thl* l* to aclcnowleda* your letter of Nay 10, 1968, addre*Nd to the hcNtal'y to the ea..tadon and dultq wnh tu eo..teelon'
- re1u*
latlena for trltlua and pro111thla 147.
We are aware *f dtffereneea 111 the nature *f 11.ultll phyatca pml-aaaoclated vlth trltl* and tboH aaoclated wtth proaethtua 147.
lxtemal upoeure le the prtaelpal *oncern for devl"a cmtalnl"I pl'Olletht-ua 147. ror dfftoea eonutntaa trStla the pd.nolHl coneern l* lntft'llal expoeun nsultl* frca reluae of tritium from the device.
Ia autbortataa t1'e ue of tbeN *tertal* tn prottuet* under our rqula*
ti...,., the external racllatlon lewla from devleea COllt*lal.. proathlua 147 aad tu rat* of r*l*** .t ra4toactiff mtertal from devtoea con*
C.lnlna trttl\m are Ulllt~ eo that actual uposun* t* tndl*lcluala are
- llkel7 to exCMd aeetpta,ty lw Yaluea withla pentaalble llmt1.
We laeltne that tbe rt k to ,ultUe hult.h and ufety from device* con-talnlfll either pnaetbla 147
- trttlm authorl_. for uH under AIC rqulatlona l* ...11 and ha* Mn adequately couldertl4.
Slaeenly your*,
roneat Weat:41111, Dir.ct.or DlYlalm of ladlatlon Protection Standarda bee: Stan Robinson, SECY
TELEPHONE 212-246 - 0460 DOC~ NUMBER PETITIO~ RULE PRM 6AN.RAD PRE~ISION INDUSTRIES t INO.
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CODES USED BENTLEYS A. B . C . (!5'" EDITION) 630 FIFTH .AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y. 10020 May 10, 1968 ETEo UfUc AY15 1968 ot Ito S.terer
/It Prec.11i1o,sti'/
Dr. W. B. McCool Secretary to the Commission U. S. A. E. C.
Germantown, Md.
Dear Sir:
We are submitting this letter for your study for the purpose of separating the future description of similar devices which employ different radioisotopes as stated in the U. S. A. E. C. Rules and Regu-lations Title 10 Atomic Energy Part 30 and Part 32.
The necessity of separating and thereby clarifying the sections dealing with the regulations governing similar uses of individually different radioisotopes (Pm-147, E*max.
- 0. 22 .Mev and H-3 Emax . 017 Mev) has arisen partially as a result of confused inquiries to our company on the quantity of radiation emitted from tritium in aircraft safety and other devices as de-scribed in U. S. A. E. C. Rules and Regulations (30.15, 32.14, April 29, 1967( (30.15 December 12, 1967) and (32. 53 December 1967).
It is clear, however, if reference is made to a much earlier
TELEPHONE 212 - 246-0460 0ANRAD P.REfJISION INDUSTRIES, INo.
CABLE ADDRESS "RADENTA' CODES USED BENTLEYS A . B . C . (5"' EDITION) 630 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y. 10020 Page 2 Dr. W. B. McCool issue (U. S. A. E. C. 10 CFR Part 30, Page 1, May 20, 1964) that your agency has appropriately eliminated tritium sealed sources as being a radiation problem. In view of the secondary radiation differences between Pm-147 and H-3 we believe that this paragraph or its equivalent should be mentioned when other radioisotopes are included in a descriptive section.
The pertinent paragraph is as follows: "This problem of fixing external radiation levels did not arise when the Commission authorized the use of tritium in lock illuminators since there is no external radiation dose from tritium".
It is unfortunate that in the subsequent paragraph of the above reference the following is :stat~d "Although persons using items activated by Pm-147 may receive a larger radiation dose than they would receive from equivalent tritium activated items, the dose received--- - under the limitations of the proposed amendments, would be only a small fraction of the recommended permissible exposures". There is an implication in said paragraph that the equivalent quantity of H-3 produces an external
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" RADENTA' CODES USED BENTLEYS A . B . C . (5"' EDITION) 630 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y.10020 Page 3 Dr. W. B. McCool radiation dose. This is not so in view of the facts and in the U. S. A. E. C.
statement in the earlier paragraph. It is therefore obvious that there is nil radiation {primary and secondary) from H-3 radioisotope enclosed de-vices regardless of shape. area. or thickness.
The dimensional viewpoint at this junction is of import as reference is again made to {30. 15, Dec. 12, 1967) wherein a number of tritium and promethium devices of different dimensions which have been indiscriminately "lumpeq tog~ther':. again only stating the radiation per-mitted from Promethium-147. without due reference to the prime fact (10 CFR Part 30, May 20. 1964). that there is nil external radiation from tritium. In the same section {30 . 15 Dec. 12, 1967) there is stated the per-mitted radiation for Pm-147 at different distances for various items; how-ever. if the radiation is calculated for a unit distance {assuming a small initial depth for the radioactive isotope) and sufficient absorption for the primary beta particles we arrive approximately at the relationships pre-sented in Table I. for Promethium-147 products.
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CODES USED BENTLEYS A . B_ c_ (s'" EDITION) 630 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y. 10020 Page 4 TABLE I Promethium Products I 2 3 4 5 Item Quantity Radiation at Distance Radiation Pm-147 (me) stated distance: cm. Approx. at Millicuries Millirads 1 cm.
Millirads
- 1. Wrist watches 0.1 me 0.1 10. 0 10
- 2. Pocket watches 0.1 me 0.1 1. 0 0.1
- 3. Time pieces 0. 2 me 0.2 10. 0 20 (other than above)
- 4. Lock Illuminators 2. 0 me 1.0 1. O 1. 0
- 5. Aircraft Luminous 300 me 0.5 10. 0 50 Safety Devices
- 6. Spark gap-tubes 0.03 me 0.5 1. 0 0.5 Items 1-5 are measured with a 50 mg./ 2 absorber. Item 6 cm is measured with a 7 mg./ cm 2 absorber. Data in columns 1-4 taken from U. S. A. E. C. Rules and Regulations.
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CODES USED BENTLEYS A. B . C . (!5'" EDI TI ON) 63 0 F l FTH AVE E, EW YORK, N. Y . 100 2 0 Page 5 Dr. W. B. McCool It is apparent that the approximate calculated radiation levels in column 5 at 1 cm. distance are quite different depending greatly upon the geometry of the device . It is of significance that the radiation levels shown in column 3 were presented for different, possibly arbitrarily ,
selected distances {column 4) . These distances do not give the true picture with respect to P m-147 devices as those devices of higher curie content may be handled at distances closer than 1 cm. For example, i n aircraft luminous safety devices the surface radiation of a promethium device (which permits 300 me) may readily be exceeded in a short time period~ and may be "in excess of either the 2 millirems in any hour or 100 millirems in any seven (7) consecutive days 11 which is the permissible dose i n uncontrolled areas (Radiation Control in the State of New York). Thus potential over-exposure is possible in both the handling, storage, and shipping of these devices especially in military installations using non-technical personnel.
It is therefore of consequence that there should be distinct descriptive separation of devices using different radioisotopes with parti-c ular emphasis on the differences between Promethium and Tritium as t hey
TELEPHONE 212-2 0-460 VANRAD, PREVISION INDUSTRIES, IN(J.
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CODES USED BENTLEYS A . B . C . (5'" E DITION) 630 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10020 Page 6 Dr. W. B. McCool are the most generally licensed radioisotopes.
We also suggest, that it be recommended that the radiation as measured at the surface be adopted as a required safety standard and that this be directed to generally licensed luminous aircraft safety devices with special stress upon storage, shipping and installation.
We trust that our suggestions will contribute to the health, welfare and safety of the general and specific public.
Respectfully submitted,
~ ( ~
Ir~::ler Director of Applied Research IF:fwl