Re: cpm conversion to mrem/hr -Reply

[rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu (Ron L. Kathren)]

I think I will, albeit reluctantly enter the fray to note that it is
entirely possible to convert a GM reading in cpm to R/hr, C/kg-s or even
mrem/hr.  For IER with energies above a few hundred keV to about 1 Mev, the
GM energy response curve is fairly flat and a typical conversion number in
the old days was 2800 cpm = 1 mR/hr =1 mrem/hr.  If the GM was energy
compensated, the energy range (useful) for the conversion was even broader.
This was a rule of thumb that some of us operational HP's used.  I believe
the number was published in the Hanford Instrument Manual about 25 y ago,
and I also believe LANL may have done something.  Obviously, this was an
approximation, and had a lot of caveats.  David, if you wish to discuss this
personally, please telephone me and I will do what I can to help.
509-375-5643.  And, as a final statement, in theory at least, one can
calibrate a G-M response against any dose quantity or exposure, although
there a lot of factors that need to be taken into account.

As for your comments, Herr Schoenhofer, regarding Americans and the
competency of our health physicists, it is best I do not comment further
except to note that American scientific leadership is apparent (just look at
the Nobel laureates over the years), as evidenced by the fact that English
has become the language of science world wide, yes, even in health physics.    

Ron Kathren
>
>I didn't write the article, chump.  By the amount of your verbose and
>sometime entertaining responses, I would say that you spend 75% of
>your time in front of the screen trying to come off as a
>pseudo-intellectual, and not actually engaging in the realm of Health
>Physics.  By the way, I'm not a Fed, but a contractor.  Anymore
>worthless things to say, Franz?  Now I just press delete whenever I see
>Schoenhofer.  Ah, that felt great.
>
>>>> <schoenho@via.at> 08/28/96 12:46pm >>>
>At 13:49 28.08.1996 -0500, you wrote:
>>I was looking through some x-ray diffraction reports and ran across
>>some conversion figure converting cpm from a GM to mR/hr or mrem/hr.
> I
>>can't remember where I saw it.  Anyone no what it is?
>>
>>David Harrison
>>DHARRISON@DOE.LANL.GOV
>>==========================================================================
>
>I cannot believe that you saw anything like this, because the conversion
>is dependent on your GM, on the energy of the radiation and probably a
>couple of other conditions. In fact calibration would have to be done
>individually. 
>
>Is this the expertise which DOE employees have?
>
>Anybody who wants to accuse me of the typical European arrogancy is
>requested to refrain from it. I had so many positive responses on my
>sometimes sarcastic comments to my private e-mail that I do not care for
>the one or two who do not like it. 
>
>Instead I would recommend that you Americans would do something to
>rise the average scientific level of your health physics people. I know
>that you have a large number of excellent experts, which are among the
>best in the world and I am honoured to know some of these personally.
>But this is not enough for everyday life. 
>
>Franz Schoenhofer
>Schoenhofer
>Habichergasse 31/7
>A-1160 WIEN
>AUSTRIA/EUROPE
>Tel./Fax:	+43-1-4955308
>Tel.:		+43-664-3380333 e-mail:		schoenho@via.at
>
>
>
>
>