Re: Reg Guide 1.86

[Al Tschaeche <antatnsu@pacbell.net>]

See comment below.

"James G. Barnes" wrote:

> Three comments regarding the 1.86 limits:
> 3)  I recall, from my Navy RadCon days, being told that the limits were
> derived from the fallout levels on cars
> that were parked at the Bettis plant in the late 1950's. This could be
> urban legend, I suppose, but the story was
> that smearable levels were in the neighborhood of 450 uuC/100 cm2 (i.e.,
> 1000 dpm), hence the limit.

When I worked at the Nevada Test Site eons ago, we would let cars go to Las
Vegas with dose rates up to 100 mr/hr on their tires.  Fresh fission products
decay quickly, you know.  The trunk lid of my 1956 Ford (there, I gave away the
date) still reads about 5 mr/hr in places.  It read 12 mr/hr in 1959.  We
didn't bother to smear anything.  And I don't see any evidence of harm from
that practice.  Oh well, it's 2000 now and we know oh so much more now than we
did then.  Al Tschaeche antatnsu@pacbell.net

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