[ RadSafe ] Fw: Certifying radiation "free" Japanese imports

Unterweger, Michael P. michael.unterweger at nist.gov
Thu Apr 21 10:53:28 CDT 2011


The problem is that most handheld instruments are not sensitive enough to detect and identify extremely low levels of contamination.  The levels required to be measured would determine what equipment would be needed - i.e., hand held Ge or NaI detectors or just gross counting ultra sensitive ones.

Mike


Michael Unterweger 
NIST 
Group Leader , Radioactivity Group
Building 245 Room C114
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8462
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8462
Tel: 301-975-5536 
Fax: 301-926-7416 
E-mail: unterweg at nist.gov 

-----Original Message-----
From: Perle, Sandy [mailto:sperle at mirion.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 11:41 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Cc: Unterweger, Michael P.
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Fw: Certifying radiation "free" Japanese imports

Could start with ANSI N42 Standards that and instruments that state they meet these requirements, as well as DHS and NIST documentation. I'm also copying Mike Unterweger, NIST Group Leader , Radioactivity Group and Chair, N42.

Hope this helps!

Sandy

-----------------------------------
Sander C. Perle
President
Mirion Technologies
Dosimetry Services Division
2652 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614

+1 (949) 296-2306 (Office)
+1 (949) 296-1130 (Fax)

Mirion Technologies: http://www.mirion.com/

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of roseb at gdls.com
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 8:32 AM
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Fw: Certifying radiation "free" Japanese imports

Forwarded on behalf of an IH colleague.

Henry

Boyd H. Rose, CM, CIH, CHMM
Sr. Safety and Environmental Engineering Specialist Corporate Radiation Safety Officer General Dynamics Land Systems
38500 Mound Road
Mail Zone 436-10-75
Sterling Heights , MI 48310-3269
Tel: 586 825 4503
Fax: 586 825 4015
E-mail: roseb at gdls.com



----- Forwarded by Boyd H Rose/LS/GDYN on 04/21/2011 11:28 AM -----


"Zavon, Peter L" <peter.zavon at xerox.com> Sent by: aihaih-list at yahoogroups.com
04/21/2011 10:03 AM

To
"AIHA IH discussion list" <aihaih-list at yahoogroups.com>, "Safety list @ UVM" <SAFETY at LIST.UVM.EDU>, <hazmat101 at yahoogroups.com> cc

Subject
[aihaih-list] Certifying radiation "free" Japanese imports






It is not my usual practice to send one question to multiple lists, but in  this case I need to seek information as broadly as possible.  If you see this message more than once, please accept my apologies for the duplication.



Let me give you some background before I ask my question.



Because of the nuclear power plant problems in Fukushima, some countries are forbidding import of agricultural products from that area or Japan, or from all of Japan. In the US all imports from Japan are receiving increased radiological scrutiny.



In Japan, a regulation has been issued requiring that agricultural products be certified by the exporter as radiologically acceptable.
("acceptable" is my term.)  It would seem that some countries are also requiring such certification from their Japanese suppliers before admitting products from Japan.  What I can find on the internet about this is currently focused on agricultural products.  However, there seems to be some thought that certification might expand (or perhaps has
expanded) to non-agricultural products.  The Japanese government certifies certain radiation detection instruments for this purpose.



Now my question:



Does the US government (Ag Dept, NRC, Customs, other?) specify or certify radiation detection instruments for use in such certifications?



I have been asked by Japanese contacts which instruments are acceptable to the US Government.  My initial thought is that the government agencies concerned would want an appropriate instrument to be selected and to have been calibrated within the appropriate time period, but do not  certify or specify particular brands or models, and that, therefore, any instrument certified by the Japanese government and properly calibrated and used would be acceptable to the US..



Does anyone have concrete information or guidance in this area?



Thanks.





Peter Zavon, CIH
Sr. Industrial Hygienist
EH&S - Workplace Safety
Xerox Corporation
800 Phillips Road (205-99F)
Webster, NY  14580


p 585.422.3677   ( 8*222.3677)
peter.zavon at xerox.com <mailto:peter.zavon at xerox.com>









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