Table 7.1. Surface contamination guidelines

DOE-STD-6003-96

TABLE 7.1. Surface contamination guidelines

Allowable total residual

Radionuclidesa

surface contaminationb (dpm/100 cm2)

Averagec,d

Maximumd,e

Removabled,f

Beta-gamma emitters

5,000

15,000

1,000

(radionuclides with decay

modes other than alpha

emission)

aWhere

surface contamination by both alpha- and beta-gamma-emitting radionuclides exists, the limits

established for alpha- and beta-gamma-emitting radionuclides should apply independently.

bAs used in this table, disintegrations per minute (dpm) means the rate of emission by radioactive

material as determined by correcting the counts per minute measured by an appropriate detector for

background, efficiency, and geometric factors associated with the instrumentation.

cMeasurements of average contamination should not be averaged over an area of more than 1 m 2.

For objects of less surface area, the average should be derived for each such object.

dThe average and maximum dose rates associated with surface contamination resulting from

beta-gamma emitters should not exceed 0.002 mGy/h and 0.01 mGy/h, respectively, at 1 cm.

eThe maximum contamination applied to an area of not more than 100 cm2.

f The amount of removable material per 100 cm2 of surface area should be determined by wiping an

area of that size with dry filter or soft absorbent paper, applying moderate pressure, and measuring

the amount of radioactive material on the wiping with an appropriate instrument of known efficiency.

When removable contamination on objects of surface area less than 100 cm2 is determined, the

activity per unit area should be based on the actual area and the entire surface should be wiped. It is

not necessary to use wiping techniques to measure removable contamination levels if direct scan

surveys indicate that the total residual surface contamination levels are within the limits for remov-

able contamination.

7. 4 Waste Sent to a Low-Level Waste Repository

Waste considered for present low-level waste (LLW) repositories has been generated

primarily in fission reactors, through nuclear medicine, or through the use of accelerators. The

isotopes considered to date are not typical of those expected in fusion facilities. Therefore, it is

important that the basic methods and limits used for present LLW be extended to the broader

spectrum of isotopes expected in fusion-generated waste.

7. 4.1 Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste

10 CFR 61 was issued in final form in 1982 primarily to deal with the burial within 30 m of

the surface of LLW produced in fission power plants, medical diagnosis and treatment, and

tracers used in research [10 CFR 61.7(a)(1)]. The regulation explicitly does not deal with high-

level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, or spent nuclear fuel. LLW is divided into three

classes, for which packaging requirements and radioisotope concentration limits are specified.

The guiding philosophy behind 10 CFR 61 is that no member of the public, including an

inadvertent intruder, should be exposed to an unacceptable risk due to accidental exposure to

radioactive waste. Annual dose limits of 0.25 mSv (25 mrem) to the whole body, 0.75 mSv

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