Industrial Hygiene Associates
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359 DRESHER ROAD HORSHAM, PA 19044 (215)672-6088 (215)443-0899 FAX kcrawford@eagleih.com |
Radiation Monitoring / Radiation Safety
Radioactive Material Disposal
Understanding Radiation: www.nsc.org/issues/rad/protect.htm
American Nuclear Society: www.ans.org
CDC: www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/manual/radman.htm
Eagle Industrial Hygiene is a company that provides Industrial Hygiene services associated with radiation safety, monitoring, handling and disposal of radioactive materials. Radioactive materials are used in industries associated with nuclear power plants, the Department of Defense, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.
The federal government regulates manmade and naturally occurring radioactive materials by setting emissions and human exposure control levels as well as environmental clean-up standards. There are allowable exposure levels that establish level of protection factors. The first federal Government radiation standard was set in 1957. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the EPA have primary responsibility for radiation safety except at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities where the DOE regulates these sites.
Eagle Industrial Hygiene also can assist you in radioactive material disposal of your waste streams and other associated hazardous waste materials.
EPA's residential radon program recommends an action level of 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends, but does not require, that homeowners reduce radon levels below the action level in their homes.
Dose Standards for Ionizing Radiation Exposure in the United States (expressed in terms of annual effective dose):
Population and Source of Radioactivity: Occupational limit
Dose Limit (mrem/yr): 5,000
General Public...
Population and Source of Radioactivity: Limit for any licensed facility (excluding medical)
Dose Limit (mrem/yr): 100
Population and Source of Radioactivity: Limit for nuclear power facility
Dose Limit (mrem/yr): 25
Population and Source of Radioactivity: Limit for waste repository (excluding Yucca Mountain)
Dose Limit (mrem/yr): 15
Population and Source of Radioactivity: NAS recommendation for Yucca Mountain
Dose Limit (mrem/yr): 2-20
Population and Source of Radioactivity: EPA recommended "action level" for indoor radon
Dose Limit (mrem/yr): 800 (approx.)
Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Under the Clean Air Act of 1970 and its amendments, EPA established standards to regulate the release of manmade radiation to the air, by most government and industrial facilities.
Major Pathways by Which Dispersed
Radionuclides Can Affect Living Organisms
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
- EPA's National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for radionuclides require facilities to limit their radionuclide air emissions so that no member of the public is exposed to more than 10 millirem of radiation per year.
- Facilities must submit annual reports documenting their emissions, and they may be subject to annual inspections.
Facilities regulated by NRC, such as nuclear power plants, hospitals, medical research facilities, research reactors, and uranium fuel cycle facilities, are subject to similar limits.
EPA is also responsible for taking steps to reduce indoor exposures from radon.
Controlling Radiation in Water
Radioactive materials can enter water in several ways:
- By being deposited in surface water from the air
- By entering ground water or surface water from the ground through erosion, seepage, or human activities such as mining
Some radioactive particles dissolve and move along with the water. Others are deposited in sediments or on soil or rocks.
Two federal laws govern the regulation of radiation in water.
The Safe Drinking Water Act
- (SDWA) directed EPA to set standards for drinking water contaminants that may adversely affect human health. Under the SDWA, EPA set limits for some radioactive materials in drinking water. Public water supplies must comply with EPA's national primary drinking water regulations, which are based on the agency's drinking water standards.
- In November 1999, EPA proposed a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for radon in drinking water based on a multimedia approach designed to achieve greater risk reduction by addressing radon risks in indoor air, with public water systems providing protection from the highest levels of radon in their ground water supplies. The framework for this proposal is set out in the Safe Drinking Water Act as amended in 1996. This statutory-based framework reflects the characteristics uniquely specific to radon among drinking water contaminants. SDWA directs EPA to promulgate a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for radon in drinking water, but also to make available a higher alternative maximum contaminant level (AMCL) accompanied by a multimedia mitigation (MMM) program to address radon risks in indoor air.
For more information on radon in drinking water, call EPA's Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or visit the EPA Web site at: www.epa.gov/safewater.
Controlling UV Radiation Exposure to sunlight
Overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays threatens human health by causing:
- Immediate painful sunburn
- Skin cancer
- Eye damage
- Immune system suppression
- Premature aging
Children are highly susceptible to harmful UV radiation. Just one or two blistering sunburns in childhood may double the risk of developing melanoma, a highly malignant form of skin cancer. An estimated 80 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18.
For further information, email kcrawford@eagleih.com