Analysis of workstation: tritium atmospheric contamination

作者：Rigaud S; Ch**** S^*; Maynadier B; Lemontey F; Lecrique Gelhay C; Gaudet F; Raufast V; Colas O

来源：Radioprotection, 2012, 47(2): 185-204.

• Effective dose
• atmospheric contamination
• tritium
• volatility factor

Radioactive contamination, whether it is on the surface or in the atmosphere, could be the reason for individual internal exposure. The Practical Air Contamination Limit values enable the occupational health doctors as well as the "Personne Competente en Radioprotection" (PCR: competent person in radioprotection) to pre-evaluate the risks resulting from atmospheric contamination. These values are used to determine the course of action regarding the workstation, but also as an optimisation tool for staff protection, within the framework of the application of the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principal. During the analysis of workstations, the PCRs at Pierre Fabre Laboratories were confronted with effective dose values which seemed to be, in their opinion, abnormally high. These values were in contradiction with the results of the urinary radiotoxicological exams, which are done within the framework of the reinforced medical monitoring of the technicians, and which have always been negative (whether the exams were done periodically or from time to time at the end of a radioactive experiment series). This is why it was considered relevant to rent bubble chamber systems, used for low-level concentrations of tritium and carbon-14. The measurements showed insignificant tritium atmospheric contamination levels in the laboratories, in particular for some experimental steps that were considered a priori problematic. This study, carried out within the framework of the workstation, enabled us to decrease the volatility factor value of tritiated compounds intervening in the effective dose calculation.

• 出版日期2012-6