Re: Technical basis for 100 cm^2

[Douglas Gossen <dogo@ltc.tec.wi.us>]

Not to beat a dead horse on this contamination issue but if you want a
reasonable explaination lok at the feb. issue of Radiation Safety Officer
magazine published by RSA Inc. or online at www.neca.com/~rso/pubs.htm
and look at the article on contamination.
At 04:48 PM 9/23/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>To the best of my knowledge, I think the technical basis for using 100 cm^2 
>when surveying for loose contamination comes from Naval Nuclear Power, during 
>the "Rickover Days", and is based on the following: 
> 
>	(1) Smears tend to disintegrate when surveying areas greater than 100 
>cm^2. 		(the original smears were paper chemistry filters) 
> 
>	(2) 100 is a convenient number to use when performing calculations in 
>your head. 
>		(RadCon Math) 
> 
>	(3) 100 cm^2 is approximately the area of clothing that would be 
>contaminated if 		a individual brushed against a contaminated 
>surface. 
> 
>I hope this info can help.
>
>
>
Douglas Gossen
Health Physics Dept.
Lakeshore Technical College