(b) Electrically charged corpuscular radiation which has the same physiological effect as 10 mr/hr of gamma rays. When more than one type of the above radiations is present, the radiation of each type must be reduced by shielding so that the total emission does not exceed that of paragraphs (a) and (b). The shielding must be designed so as to maintain its efficiency under conditions normally incident to transportation, (8) Liquid radioactive materials must, in addition, be packed in tight glass, earthenware, or other suitable inside containers. The inside container must be surrounded on all sides and within the shield by an absorbent material sufficient to absorb the entire liquid contents, and of such nature that its efficiency will not be impaired by chemical reaction with the contents. If the container is packaged in a metal container, Specification 2R, or other container approved by the Bureau of Explosives, the absorbent cushioning is not required, (9) Radioactive materials emitting electrically charged particles only must be packed in suitable inside containers completely wrapped and/or shielded with such material as will prevent the escape of primary corpuscular radiation to the exterior of the shipping container, and the secondary radiation at the surface must not exceed the equivalent of 10 mr of radium gamma rays filtered through onehalf inch of lead in 24 hours. (10) Empty shipping containers: All containers and accessories which have been used in shipments of radioactive materials, when shipped as empty containers, must be sufficiently free from radioactive contamination, that there is no significant alpha or beta radiation' at the surface, and the gamma radiation at any surface shall be less than 10 mr for 24 hours. LABELING AND MARKING OF PACKAGES Each outside container of radioactive material, which emits gamma rays or gamma rays plus electrically charged corpuscular rays, unless specifically exempt, must be labeled with a label, red letters on white background, with design and wording as prescribed by the Bureau of Explosives. Each outside container of radioactive material, which emits corpuscular electrically charged particles only must, unless specifically exempt, be labeled with a label, blue letters on white background, as prescribed. 2. Post Office Department Regulations The Post Office Department has recently issued new regulations controlling the shipment of radioactive materials by mail. In general, these regulations have been revised to conform with the regulations issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission. The following is an excerpt of these rules which may be of interest to small users of radioisotopes. "6. Radioactive materials (liquid, solid or gaseous; manufactured articles such as instrument or clock dials of which radioactive mate 9 By "significant" radiation is meant about 500 alpha disintegrations per 100 cm2 per minute, or about 0.1 mrep/hr of beta radiation. rials are a component part; luminous compounds; and ores, residues, etc.) which fulfill all following conditions shall be accepted for mailing provided they are properly packed in a strong tight outside container and marked "Radioactive Material-Gamma Radiation at Surface of Parcel Less than 10 Milliroentgens for 24 hours-No significant Alpha, Beta or Neutron Radiation." (a) The package must be such that there can be no leakage of radioactive material under conditions normally incident to transportation in the mails in sacks. (b) The package must contain not more than 0.1 millicuries of radium, or polonium, or that amount of strontium 89, strontium 90, or barium 140 which disintegrates at a rate of more than 5 million atoms per second; or that amount of any other radioactive substance which disintegrates at a rate of more than 50 million atoms per second. (c) The package must be such that no significant alpha, beta or neutron radiation is emitted from the exterior of the package and the gamma radiation at any surface of the package must be less than 10 milliroentgens for 24 hours. (d) The design and preparation of the package of radioactive material must be such that there will be no significant radioactive surface contamination of any part of the container. Liquids must be packed in tight glass, earthenware or other suitable inside containers surrounded by an absorbent material sufficient to absorb the entire liquid contents and of such nature that its efficiency will not be impaired by chemical reaction with the contents." 3. Interim Regulations for Shipment by Air SHIPMENT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS BY AIR An interim arrangement, under which air express shipments of radioactive substances are currently carried by certain air lines, is given in Rule 13-A of Supplement No. 5 to the Railway Express Agency, Air Express Division, Tariff No. 8. This document is also known as Supplement No. 5 to CAB No. 22. It reads in part: The following radioactive materials will be accepted, subject to shipper compliance with the following requirements, except that such shipments will not be accepted for transportation in aircraft operated by All American Aviation, Inc., Inland Air Lines, Inc., National Airlines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, Inc., Transcontinental and Western Air, Inc., and/or Western Air Lines, Inc. (See Rule No. 12-B.) CHARACTERISTICS: Emit Gamma and other rays with maximum rating for 1-gram equivalent of radium. PROTECTIVE PACKAGING REQUIRED: Encasement in lead of thickness prescribed by "Committee on Standards of Radioactivity— National Research Council" for full protection of undeveloped films at 30 feet (developed films unaffected), and full protection of all air line personnel and passengers. SPECIAL MARKING ON PACKAGE REQUIRED: "Do not place in same compartment with undeveloped films or mail." Appendix 4. Publications 1. Publications of Interest to Radioisotope Atomic Energy Commission, Isotopes Division, Circular B-7, General rules and procedures concerning radioactive hazards. Braestrup, C. B., and Wyckoff, H., Protection requirements of one million volt and two million volt roentgen ray installations, Radiology, 51, 840 (1948). Cantril, S. T., Safety rules and procedures concerning activity hazards, MDDC 992. Cantril, S. T., and Parker, H. M., The tolerance dose, MDDC 1100. Evans, R. D., Health physics; instrumentation and hazard evaluation, "The science and engineering of nuclear power," chapter 16 (Addison Wesley Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1949). Failla, G., Protection against high energy roentgen rays, Am. J. Roentgenol. Radium Therapy, 54, 553 (1945). Lea, D. E., Actions of radiations on living cells (The Macmillan Co., New York, N. Y. 1947). Levy, H. A., Some aspects of the design of radiochemical laboratories, Chem. & Eng. News 24, 3168 (1946). Marinelli, L. D., Quimby, E. H., and Hine, G. J., Dosage determination with radioactive isotopes. II. Practical considerations in therapy and protection, Am. J. Roentgenol. Radium Therapy, 59, 260 (1948). Morgan, G. W., Surveying and monitoring of radiation from radioisotopes, Nucleonics, 4, 24 (1949). Morgan, K. Z., Health physics and its control of radiation exposures at Clinton Laboratories, Chem. & Eng. News, 25, 3794 (1947). Morgan, K. Z., Shipping of radioisotopes, J. Applied Phys. 19, 593 (1948). Morgan, K. Z., Protection against radiation hazards and maximum allowable exposure values, J. Ind. Hyg. and Toxicol. XXX, 286 (1948). Morgan, K. Z., Tolerance concentrations of radioactive substances, J. Phys. and Colloid Chem. 51, 894 (1947). Nickson, J., Measures for the protection of personnel and property. (In "Symposium on the use of isotopes in biology and medicine," Univ. of Wisconsin, 1948). Pardue, L. A., Goldstein, N., and Wollan, E. O., Photographic film as a pocket radiation dosimeter, MDDC 1065. Parker, H. M., Health physics, instrumentation and radiation protection. "Advances in Biological and Medical Physics," chapter V, I (Academic Press, New York, N. Y., 1948). Parker, H. M., Radiation hazards of Bremsstrahlung, MDDC 1012. Quimby, E. H., Physical methods of dosage determination in radiation therapy, J. Applied Phys. 13, 678 (1942). Sullivan, W. H., Control of radioactive hazards, Chem. & Eng. News 25, 1862 (1947). Tompkins, P. C., Laboratory handling of radioactive material: Protection of personnel and equipment, MDDC 1527. Western, F., Problems of radioactive waste disposal, Nucleonics, 3, [2] 43 (1948). Wirth, J. E., Occupational Med. 2, 428 (1946). Wyckoff, H. O., Kennedy, R. J., and Bradford, W. R., Broad and narrow beam attenuation of 500-1400 Kv X-rays in lead and concrete, Nucleonics, 3, [5] 62 (1948). American Standards Association, Safety code for the industrial use of Medical X-ray protection up to two million volts (National Committee on Radiation Protection, Subcommittee 3, H. O. Wyckoff, Chairman) NBS Handbook 41. Recommendations of the British X-ray and Radium Protection Committee, Seventh Revised Report (Oct. 1948). Waste disposal symposium, Nucleonics, 4, 9 (1949). Symposium on Radiochemistry Laboratories (Ind. Eng. Chem. 41, 228, 1949): Impact of radioactivity on chemical laboratory techniques and Research with low levels of radioactivity, J. W. Swartout. A radioisotope building, P. C. Tompkins. Laboratory for preparation and use of radioactive organic com- Remodeling a laboratory for radiochemical instruction or research, Submitted for the National Committee on Radiation Protection. LAURISTON S. TAYLOR, Chairman. WASHINGTON, March 7, 1949. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 3 9015 00132 4501 U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1950 |