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SECTION 13: Leak Testing Requirements
for "Sealed Sources" and "Generally Licensed Devices"
13.0 "Sealed Sources" (top)
1. Initial Test
- Unless a certificate is available indicating that a leak test has
been made within the last six months, each "Sealed
Source" obtained
from another organization shall be tested, prior to use, for
contamination
and/or leakage. The exceptions to this requirement are those "Sealed
Sources" which
- Contain only Tritium;
- Contain only radioisotopes with a half-life of thirty days
or less;
- Contain radioactivity consisting entirely of a gas.
- All "Sealed Sources" fabricated by University personnel
must be inspected and tested for construction defects, contamination,
and
leakage immediately after fabrication and prior to use or transfer.
If the test reveals any construction defects or 0.005 mCi or greater
of contamination, the source must be repaired and/or decontaminated
and retested before use.
2. Periodic Leak Testing
- Each "Sealed Source" shall be tested for contamination
and/or leakage at intervals not exceeding six months, except that
sources designed
for the purpose of emitting alpha particles shall be tested at
intervals not exceeding three months unless exempted below.
- "Sealed Sources" are exempt from the required periodic leak
test if:
- They contain only tritium;
- The half-life of the contents is thirty days or less;
- They contain 100 mCi or less of beta and/or gamma emitting
material or 10 mCi or less of alpha emitting material;
- The activity consists entirely of a gas.
- For "Sealed Sources" fabricated by University personnel,
the
"Health Physicist" may, at his or her discretion, elect to
require periodic leak testing, regardless of the source’s
activity or characteristics.
3. "Sealed Sources" containing
plutonium, regardless of activity, are not exempted from any of the
tests described in paragraphs 1 and
2 above.
4. Plated sources of alpha emitting materials, while not technically "Sealed
Sources," must be leak tested in accordance with the requirements
of paragraphs 1 and 2 above.
5. "Sealed Sources" containing radioisotopes licensed by
the State of New Jersey shall not be opened.
"Generally Licensed Devices" (top)
By the licensing arrangements through which "Generally
Licensed Devices" are manufactured and sold, special leak testing or inspection
requirements may be imposed on the manufacturer or owner. The "Authorized
User" must bring such requirements to the attention of the Office
of Environmental Health and Safety when the device is obtained.
Leakage Defined (top)
If any of the required tests indicates the presence of 0.005 mCi or
more of transferable radioactivity, the source is considered leaking
or contaminated and shall immediately be withdrawn from service and
be either decontaminated and/or repaired and retested, or disposed of
as radioactive waste or returned to the supplier as appropriate. For
information on returning sources, see Sections
7 and 14.
Filing of Report (top)
In the event a source is determined to be contaminated and/or leaking,
a report must be filed within five days with the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission or the State
of New Jersey indicating the test results, the equipment used and
the corrective action taken.
Performance of Test (top)
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety performs the required
leak tests for all University "Sealed Sources" and, when required,
"Generally Licensed Devices," maintains the required records,
suggests corrective actions where indicated, and files the necessary
reports. To assist in the implementation of this service each "Authorized
User" must:
- Inform the Office of Environmental Health and Safety in writing
of the receipt or manufacturer of a new source or of plans to dispose
of an old source;
- Provide the Office of Environmental Health and Safety with a copy
of the test certificate received with purchased "Sealed Sources";
- Make expeditiously available, preferably at a central point, sources
and devices for the scheduled tests.
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