R 325.5272 Appendix C. Radioactive surface contamination guides.

Rule 272. Application Alpha(dpm/100 cm2) Beta/Gamma* Total (mR/hr) Removable (dpm/100 cm2) Total Removable Restricted Area Basic Guide 25,000 (max) 500 1.0 5,000 5,000 (avg) Clean Area 1,000 100 0.5 1,000 Non-Restricted Area Skin, Personal Clothing 500 N.D.** 0.1 N.D.** Release of Material or Facilities 2,500 (max) 100 0.2 1,000 500 (avg) *Measured at 1 cm from the surface **N.D. - non-detectable NOTES TO APPENDIX C It should be emphasized that because of the wide range of physical factors, no one value (of the few which can be incorporated in a standard) can relate health effects to contamination levels in all the diverse situations in which contamination is measured. Accordingly, standards for contamination levels must be used as guides (or decision levels). The above levels shall therefore be applied with the following guidance: 1. The levels are to be used as guides, and in practice professional judgment should be used by the health physicist to determine the acceptability of the actual contamination. 2. Although it is felt that the recommended values should not result in a health hazard, good radiation protection practice dictates that a reasonable effort be made to keep actual contamination levels below these values. 3. Compliance with contamination guides shall not be used as evidence that exposing persons to internal or external sources of radiation is within the prescribed standards. Biological sampling or whole body counting should be used to ascertain internal doses. 4. For release of material to the general public: a. A reasonable effort shall be made to minimize the contamination (i.e. the application of additional decontamination procedures have little effect on the contamination levels). b. Surfaces of premises or equipment likely to be contaminated that are inaccessible for measurement shall be presumed to be contaminated in excess of the above limits and not released. 5. The levels adopted are for generally used isotopes of high toxicity, therefore lower levels may be appropriate for extremely toxic radionuclides and relaxations allowed for less toxic radionuclides.