Re: New NRC Reg Guide for patient release

["Dale E. Boyce" <dale@radpro.uchicago.edu>]

I noticed an error in my original post.  Column 3 of Table 2 of the
Draft Regulatory Guide DG-8015 Release of Patients Administered
Radioactive Materials carries a column heading " Activities above
which Instructions to Patients and Records Should be Prepared".
The value in this column for I-131 is 6.5 mCi not mRem as in my
original post.  Column 4 of that Table is headed "Dose Rate at
1 Meter Above Which Instructions and Records Should be Prepared.
The value for I-131 is listed as 1 mRem/hour.  This is a reg guide
but in general we end up being tied to reg guides.  The 1 mRem
limit is half of the current value for which patients can be released
without instruction.  My real concern is not the in patients, but
the outpatient administrations.  Currently outpatient administrations
go up to the 30 mCi limit.  For me to assure that all outpatients
receiving between 6.5 and 30 mCi receive instructions and the dose
to the member of the public likely to receive the highest exposure
calculated and recorded, presumably with that person's identity, will
be an onerous task.  We keep increasing the required paperwork with no
benefit to the public health.

BTW  The reg guide uses "should" not shall, so watch out if you use
a reference to the reg guide in a license app.  You may be required
to change the reg guide! 8->

Dale
dale@radpro.uchicago.edu

The rantings are my own.  I reserve the right to disclaim them at
any time.