Re: QA Samples (environmental, body counter, etc.)

[Gary_H_Kramer@hc-sc.gc.ca]

Gary H Kramer
03/10/98 10:05 AM


Greetings Radsafers

While I was out of the office there was a thread on this topic.  The
originating author claimed that he was receiving samples from Health Canada
for a ridiculous cost (as high as $20,000).  I would like to set the record
straight.  Our services and current costs are summarised below.

Health Canada?s National Calibration Reference Centre (NCRC) for Bioassay
and In Vivo Monitoring offers intercomparison services to Canadian (and
others if desired) facilities to primarily to meet the Canadian regulator?s
independent testing requirements.

The NCRC has a series of phantoms that are used in the whole body and lung
intercomparisons.  These phantoms include:  BOMAB (Bottle Manikin Absorber)
phantoms, which are available in sizes ranging from a 4 year old child to
the 95 percentile male, filled with appropriate solutions of gamma emitting
radionuclides, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory chest phantom,
and  the  Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute chest phantom
Phantoms are taken to sites by qualified staff who assist clients in
conducting a series of measurements to demonstrate the proficiency of their
measurement systems. The cost per customer to provide the whole body and
lung counting intercomparisons is $12,600 (Cdn) each.  Facilities that have
a other counters on-site, or nearby, will receive the subsequent (to a
maximum of two) intercomparisons at half-price, $$6,300 (Cdn).

The NCRC provides specially designed neck phantoms as part of the thyroid
intercomparison program.   The phantoms can also be used to establish
primary calibration factors.  Participants in the thyroid intercomparison
program are mailed a kit that contains the following:  a neck phantom
modelled from a human neck made of material to closely approximate human
tissue, inserts designed to mimic a real thyroid gland containing simulated
131I, and/or 125I, overlays to allow for different thickness of tissue over
the thyroid gland, instructions on the proper use of the phantom, a
training video (English or French) a report form and a telephone ?hot-line?
number for assistance.  The cost of this intercomparison is $900 (Cdn) per
customer.  Additional detector systems associated with the facility are
charged at $100 (Cdn).  A single report is issued for all sites.

The NCRC also offers intercomparison samples for the bioassay of tritium,
carbon-14, combined tritium/carbon-14, uranium and fission/activation
products in urine.  The intercomparison samples sent to participants are
prepared by adding a known amount of a standard solution of the appropriate
radionuclide(s) to human urine.  Replicate samples are provided to
participants at several concentration levels to allow participants to test
their laboratory procedures and staff for measurement accuracy and
precision.  The radionuclide levels chosen represent those commonly
encountered in routine and non-routine personnel monitoring.  The cost of
these intercomparisons is:  Uranium - $5,500 (Cdn), Tritium -$5,500 (Cdn);
Carbon-14 - $5,500; Dual Spike (Tritium and Carbon-14) - $5,500 (Cdn);
Fission and Activation Products - $9,100 (Cdn).

The NCRC also provides advice and assistance to participating facilities to
solve problems identified through their participation in the
intercomparison programs and maintain a historical, confidential data base
for efficient information retrieval and trend analysis. Dosimetry Services
participating in this service will meet the requirements for independent
testing as given in the Atomic Energy Control Board?s Consultative
Document, ?Technical and Quality Assurance Requirements for Dosimetry
Services?, C-106, Draft November, 15, 1996.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Gary H. Kramer - Head, Human Monitoring Laboratory Canadian
National Calibration Reference Centre for In-Vivo Monitoring
Tel:613-954-6668  Fax:613-957-1089
mailto:Gary_H_Kramer@hc-sc.gc.ca
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dataehd/English/rpb/environ/index.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------

This E-mail was created with LotusNotes 4.11a.  It sometimes creates
attachments of items it thinks your mailing system cannot handle.  Unless
the text specified that a document was attached, you should ignore all
attachments.