Re: I-131 Medical Treatment

[Al Tschaeche <antatnsu@pacbell.net>]

Paul E Ruhter wrote:
> 
> 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.

Absolutely!!  And we must fission that fusion.

> Contamination is controlled at low (background) levels because it is more
> effective and easier to do so.  
I don't understand this sentence.  It is more effective with respect to
what?  It is certainly easier to clean to higher than lower
contamination levels.  Help me here, Paul.

Heally(sp?) 

One "l" Healy.  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?)