RE: Leak Testing Sealed Sources

["Erik F. Shores" <eshores@lanl.gov>]

At 02:09 PM 2/5/98 -0600, you wrote:
>Rad Safers,
>
>I've noticed that numerous regulatory-based sealed source leak-test
>thresholds have been provided in response to Mr. Haleem's request.  I
>think some discussion of dose-based thresholds would also be
>interesting...  I'm aware of one published methodology for deriving
>leak-test thresholds:
>
>Kerr, G.D. and Ekerman, K.F. Source Inventory Limits. Health Physics.
>Vol.59 No. 6, 1990.
>
>Radionuclides are partitioned into eight leak-test thresholds, ranging
>from a nCi to a mCi, based on relative dose derived from the limiting
>pathway (external radiation or inhalation).  Most of the actinides are
>in the sub-uCi range.  This reference appears to be the basis behind
>current U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sealed source accountability
>requirements (although not identical to the author's recommendations).
>
>I believe that the DOE is considering revising dose-based methodology to
>be somewhat similar to a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) sealed
>source accountability proposal (is this published?).  The proposed new
>DOE thresholds may end up codified in a revised 10 CFR 835.  Are any of
>the other quoted regulatory thresholds (State, NRC licensed) derived
>from a health-protection basis?
>
>Regards,
>Scott Sorensen
>ssorensen@doeal.gov

Good Afternoon! Listed in the table of contents for the April 1998
Health Physics Journal (Bruce Busby's Jan 31st post) is an article
by Kathleen Shingleton (Lawrence Livermore Nat'l Lab) and David Lee
(Los Alamos Nat'l Lab): "Radioactive Sealed Source Accountability--
A Risk-Based Approach". 

A dose/risk-based approach for establishing threshold accountability 
values for radioactive sealed sources is provided in this paper that 
is based on realistic assumptions and current scientific information.

The longer paper from which the Health Physics Journal article is
taken will be published in an upcoming edition of the Radiation 
Protection Management Journal.

Regards,
erik
--
Erik F. Shores
Los Alamos National Laboratory
eshores@lanl.gov
505.665.7643