Re: Leak Testing Sealed Sources -Reply

["J. J. Rozental" <josrozen@netmedia.net.il>]

At 01:06 PM 2/4/98 -0600, you wrote:
>You wrote: 
> 
>Only to think about???? 
> 
>For what reason  the value of 0.005 microcurie of removable radioactive 
>material shall be considered evidence that the sealed source is leaking???  
> 
>====================== 
>J. J. Rozental <josrozen@media.net.il> 
> 
>The basis for this limit, as stated in our Technical Specifications Bases
>is:  
>"The limitations on removable contamination for sources requiring leak 
>testing, including alpha emitters, is based on 10 CFR 70.39(c) limits for 
>plutonium.  This limitation will ensure that leakage from byproduct, source, 
>and special nuclear material sources will not exceed allowable intake 
>values..."   
> 
>The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
>It's not about dose, it's about trust. 
> 
>Bill Lipton 
>liptonw@detroitedison.com 
>
===================================================
Thank you for your information, very important for many non american
RADSAFERS, including myself.  The reason for what I decided to ask the
question was to make some RADSAFERS aware about values fixing, for example,
what is radioactive material, level of contamination, leak test and so on;
these are not pure magic numbers. So, the main objective of my question was
in relation to  the curiosity of learning the origin of the standards and
the most common values that we use in protection, and not only merely use
the value.
The origin goes  down to 1901. Up to the 1940s only radium sources were
used, mainly  for medical purposes, nevertheless some sources were used for
industrial radiography, and for some consumer products, as paint. During the
1920s radium emanators were   designed for producing  "radon water" and were
sold to the general public. One of these could contain up to 0.5 mg of
radium. The use of the "radon water" was advertised as being healthy, and
said to be supported by medical recommendation. From the beginning little
consideration was given to protection of workers, patient, public  and the
safety of sources. It was not until some of the radium pioneers died from
causes  associated with their work, that its dangers were properly
considered. This was during 1930s. After being considered solely as
beneficial during its first 20 to 30 years radium became recognized as a
hazard, and by 1940s radium become a risk standard and was used for the
calculation of  all other radionuclides.

J. J. Rozental <josrozen@netmedia.net.il>
Israel