Glossary cont'd - doe-hdbk-1106-97

DOE-HDBK-1106-97

GLOSSARY (continued)

MeV: A unit of energy. The energy acquired by an electron accelerated through a potential

difference of one million volts.

Micro-: A prefix that divides a basic unit into one million parts. Often used with activity such as

microcurie.

Milli-: A prefix that divides a basic unit by 1,000. Often used with dose and activity such as

millirem or millicurie.

Million Electron Volts (MeV): Energy equal to that acquired by a particle with one electronic

charge in passing through a potential difference of one million volts.

Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA): The lowest amount of any specific radiation that can be

detected with a particular level of statistical significance above background levels.

Nano-: A prefix that divides a basic unit by one billion. Often used in measurements of activity

such as nanocurie.

Nuclide: A species of atom having a specified number of neutrons and protons in its nucleus.

Personnel Monitoring: Monitoring any part of individuals, their breaths, or excretions, or any part

of their clothing to determine the amount of radioactivity present in or on an individual.

Pico-: A prefix that divides a basic unit by one trillion. Often used in measurements of activity

such as picocurie.

Proportional Counter: An instrument in which an electronic detection system receives pulses that

are proportional to the number of ions formed in a gas-filled tube by ionizing radiation.

Prospective Monitoring: Routine workplace and personnel monitoring for possible intakes or

radioactive materials. Prospective monitoring will typically include air monitoring, surface

contamination surveys, and bioassay. Any prospective monitoring results above Investigation

Levels will trigger retrospective monitoring.