Re: I-131 PATIENT WORKING AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

I do not want to comment on any radiation protection issue, but simply on
the economical and psychological aspect:

I would ask the person to stay at home (even at full payment) until she is
"clean" again. The reason is simple: Alarms sounding whenever she comes in
the vicinity of a survey instrument will cause you problems and costs for
checking the reason and assuring that it is this persons I-131. Think of the
costs for whole body counting, for measurement of smear samples, the
paperwork needed to report to authorities. Your sewage system might give
alarms - the same problems will arise. Since I-131 is eliminated from the
body not only with urine and faeces, but also sweat and breath, you can
expect small contaminations almost everywhere. Other persons might get
contaminated so that alarms will sound. Think if contamination would be
transferred to your environmental measurements laboratory. I experienced
during the Chernobyl accident that I-131 will be found anywhere, even inside
well closed lead shieldings for Ge-detectors.

One psychological aspect might be, that "exciting" events disturb the smooth
running of any organisation. 

Franz
Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 WIEN
AUSTRIA/EUROPE
Tel./Fax:	+43-1-4955308
Tel.:		+43-664-3380333
e-mail:		schoenho@via.at