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Re[2]: Sealed sources




     After 10 half-lives, a source has decayed,to 0.001 of the original 
     activity.  After 20 half-lives, the dacay is to 1E-6 of the original 
     activity.  So it depends on the initial activity.
     
     Ruth Weiner
     Sandia National Labs
     Usual disclaimers.
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Sealed sources
Author:  antatnsu@pacbell.net at hubsmtp
Date:    12/9/97 6:24 PM


Stacey Alderson wrote:
>
> Radsafers,
>
> At what time does a short lived sealed source cease being
> radioactive material.   Especially if the source has documenation
> identifying it as radioactive material and it was allowed to decay in 
> storage.   If the source has decayed to undetectable levels can it
> then be disposed of as nonrad material. 
>
> Stacey Alderson
     
     
If I were making policy, I'd say, "After 10 half lives for all nuclides 
in the source (including those that are impurities in the primary 
nuclide) and if radiation from the source were less than 0.5 mrem per 
hour at two inches (I think that dose rate is what the FDA uses for TV 
machines) from any surface.  Al Tschaeche