Appendix D to Part 835 - Surface Contamination Values

Appendix D to Part 835 - Surface Contamination Values

The data presented in appendix D are to be used in identifying the need for posting of contamination and high contamination areas in accordance with § 835.603(e) and (f) and identifying the need for surface contamination monitoring and control in accordance with §§ 835.1101 and 835.1102.

Surface Contamination Values¹ in dpm/100 cm²

Radionuclide	Removable2 4	Total (Fixed + Removable)2 3
U-nat, U-235, U-238, and associated decay products	7 1,000	7 5,000
Transuranics, Ra-226, Ra-228, Th-230, Th-228, Pa-231, Ac-227, I-125, I-129	20	500
Th-nat, Th-232, Sr-90, Ra-223, Ra-224, U-232, I-126, I-131, I-133	200	1,000
Beta-gamma emitters (nuclides with decay modes other than alpha emission or spontaneous fission) except Sr-90 and others noted above5	1,000	5,000
Tritium and STCs6	10,000	See Footnote 6

¹ The values in this appendix, with the exception noted in footnote 6 below, apply to radioactive contamination deposited on, but not incorporated into the interior or matrix of, the contaminated item. Where surface contamination by both alpha- and beta-gamma-emitting nuclides exists, the limits established for alpha- and beta-gamma-emitting nuclides apply independently.

² As used in this table, dpm (disintegrations per minute) means the rate of emission by radioactive material as determined by correcting the counts per minute observed by an appropriate detector for background, efficiency, and geometric factors associated with the instrumentation.

³ The levels may be averaged over one square meter provided the maximum surface activity in any area of 100 cm² is less than three times the value specified. For purposes of averaging, any square meter of surface shall be considered to be above the surface contamination value if: (1) From measurements of a representative number of sections it is determined that the average contamination level exceeds the applicable value; or (2) it is determined that the sum of the activity of all isolated spots or particles in any 100 cm² area exceeds three times the applicable value.

⁴ The amount of removable radioactive material per 100 cm² of surface area should be determined by swiping the area with dry filter or soft absorbent paper, applying moderate pressure, and then assessing the amount of radioactive material on the swipe with an appropriate instrument of known efficiency. (Note - The use of dry material may not be appropriate for tritium.) When removable contamination on objects of surface area less than 100 cm² is determined, the activity per unit area shall be based on the actual area and the entire surface shall be wiped. It is not necessary to use swiping techniques to measure removable contamination levels if direct scan surveys indicate that the total residual surface contamination levels are within the limits for removable contamination.

⁵ This category of radionuclides includes mixed fission products, including the Sr-90 which is present in them. It does not apply to Sr-90 which has been separated from the other fission products or mixtures where the Sr-90 has been enriched.

⁶ Tritium contamination may diffuse into the volume or matrix of materials. Evaluation of surface contamination shall consider the extent to which such contamination may migrate to the surface in order to ensure the surface contamination value provided in this appendix is not exceeded. Once this contamination migrates to the surface, it may be removable, not fixed; therefore, a “Total” value does not apply. In certain cases, a “Total” value of 10,000 dpm/100 cm² may be applicable either to metals, of the types which form insoluble special tritium compounds that have been exposed to tritium; or to bulk materials to which particles of insoluble special tritium compound are fixed to a surface.

⁷ These limits only apply to the alpha emitters within the respective decay series.

[58 FR 65485, Dec. 14, 1993, as amended at 63 FR 59688, Nov. 4, 1998; 72 FR 31940, June 8, 2007; 74 FR 18116, Apr. 21, 2009]