Survey techniques - DOE-HDBK-1141-2001

Radiological Assessor Training

DOE-HDBK-1141-2001

Student's Guide

Plutonium is difficult to remove from the body.

The primary method is through the administration

of chelating agents as soon after the intake as

possible. Trained medical personnel are needed

to administer chelating agents.

The plutonium that enters the systemic system is

mostly translocated to the liver and the bone (as

is discussed in the following section).

Accordingly, development of cancer in these

organs and in the lungs are of particular interest in

evaluating long-term effects from intakes of

plutonium.

C. Survey techniques

A radiation protection program in a plutonium

facility shall ensure the detection of all types of

radiation (i.e., alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray, and

neutron) over large energy ranges. Alpha-

sensitive instruments are necessary for most

contamination control surveys.

Continuous air monitors (CAMs), sample

extraction lines that go to CAMs, and continuous

radiation dose monitors should be placed outside

the glove boxes and hoods.

Neutron surveys become important when

processing tens of grams of Plutonium-238 or

hundreds of grams of mixed isotopes of

plutonium, particularly compounds (i.e., PuO2,

PuF4). The neutron survey is important in

instances where photon shields, such as leaded

glass, are used. Such shields normally stop all of

the charged particles, most of the low-energy

photons, and essentially none of the neutrons.

Under these circumstances, neutron radiation is

likely to be the major contributor to whole body

dose.

Exposure rate surveys are normally conducted

with photon-sensitive instruments with known

Module 8 - 2