I-131 Medical Treatment

["Paul E Ruhter"<RUH@inel.gov>]

From: Paul E Ruhter@INEL on 06/25/97 11:38 AM


To:   radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
cc:
Subject:  I-131 Medical Treatment


This thread has put some stress on another area where we (health physics
professionals) do not always keep everything straight.  The control of
radioactive materials and the protection of personnel from deleterious
exposure are frequently fused together, but often totally separate issues.
Contamination is controlled at low (background) levels because it is more
effective and easier to do so.  Heally(sp?) showed decades ago that if
contamination levels were based upon personnel exposure considerations,
they would be at very high levels, so high that discerning that additional
radioactive material had "gotten loose" would be all but impossible.  (For
example, if the contamination level is 100,000 dpm/100 sq cm, have the
conditions changed if the next survey shows 110,000 dpm/100 sq cm or 90,000
dpm/ 100 sq cm?)  So from a practical standpoint, the control of
radioactive material occurs at background levels.

A similar disconnect was discussed yesterday with respect to the
transportation of sources in the KLM flight.  The control of radioactive
material has not necessarily been predicated upon the protection of
personnel from significant, deleterious radiation exposure; but we lose
sight of that at times, perhaps even at a dis-service to our cause.

The usual, intuitively obvious but regrettably needed, reminder that I
        alone am responsible for the contents of my messages!

        Paul E. Ruhter   CHP
        Supervisor, Radiation Dosimetry & Records
        Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company
        Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory (INEEL)
        e-mail:   ruh@inel.gov