Minimum detectable activities of contamination control survey equipment
The Instrumentation External Dosimetry (I ED) Section of the Health Physics Department at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has performed a series of tests to determine the ability of portable survey instruments used at Hanford to detect radioactive contamination at levels required by DOE 5480.11. This semi-empirical study combines instrumental, statistical, and human factors as necessary to derive operational detection limits. These threshold detection values have been compared to existing contamination control requirements, and detection deficiencies have been identified when present. Portable survey instruments used on the Hanford Site identify the presence of radioactive surface contamination based on the detection of {alpha}-, {beta}-, {gamma}-, and/or x-radiation. However, except in some unique circumstances, most contamination monitors in use at Hanford are configured to detect either {alpha}-radiation alone or {beta}- and {gamma}-radiation together. Testing was therefore conducted on only these two categories of radiation detection devices. Nevertheless, many of the results obtained are generally applicable to all survey instruments, allowing performance evaluations to be extended to monitoring devices which are exclusively {gamma}- and/or x-ray- sensitive. 6 figs., 2 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5286384
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-19841; CONF-9108162-3; ON: DE92000393; TRN: 91-028846
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Department of Energy (DOE) radiation protection conference, Knoxville, TN (United States), 27-29 Aug 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
DOSEMETERS
SENSITIVITY
ALPHA DETECTION
BETA DETECTION
BETA DOSIMETRY
GAMMA DETECTION
HANFORD RESERVATION
IODINE 125
IODINE 126
IODINE 129
IODINE 131
IODINE 133
PORTABLE EQUIPMENT
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIUM 223
RADIUM 224
RADIUM 226
RADIUM 228
STRONTIUM 90
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
THORIUM 228
THORIUM 230
URANIUM 232
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
X-RAY DETECTION
X-RAY DOSIMETRY
ACTINIDE ISO
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
CONTAMINATION
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DETECTION
DOSIMETRY
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEON 24 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISO
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
440102* - Radiation Instrumentation- Radiation Dosemeters
055001 - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects