173.443—Contamination control.
(a)
The level of non-fixed (removable) radioactive contamination on the external surfaces of each package offered for transport must be kept as low as reasonable achievable. The level of non-fixed radioactive contamination may not exceed the limits set forth in Table 9 and must be determined by either:
(1)
Wiping an area of 300 cm 2 of the surface concerned with an absorbent material, using moderate pressure, and measuring the activity on the wiping material. Sufficient measurements must be taken in the most appropriate locations to yield a representative assessment of the non-fixed contamination levels. The amount of radioactivity measured on any single wiping material, divided by the surface area wiped and divided by the efficiency of the wipe procedure (the fraction of removable contamination transferred from the surface to the absorbent material), may not exceed the limits set forth in Table 9 at any time during transport. For this purpose the actual wipe efficiency may be used, or the wipe efficiency may be assumed to be 0.10; or
(2)
Alternatively, the level of non-fixed radioactive contamination may be determined by using other methods of equal or greater efficiency.
Table 9 is as follows:
| Contaminant | Maximum permissible limits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bq/cm2 | uCi/cm2 | dpm/cm2 | |
| 1. Beta and gamma emitters and low toxicity alpha emitters | 4 | 10−4 | 220 |
| 2. All other alpha emitting radionuclides | 0.4 | 10−5 | 22 |
(b)
Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, in the case of packages transported as exclusive use shipments by rail or public highway only, the removable (non-fixed) radioactive contamination on any package at any time during transport may not exceed ten times the levels prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section. The levels at the beginning of transport may not exceed the levels prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c)
Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, each transport vehicle used for transporting Class 7 (radioactive) materials as an exclusive use shipment that utilizes the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section must be surveyed with appropriate radiation detection instruments after each use. A vehicle may not be returned to service until the radiation dose rate at each accessible surface is 0.005 mSv per hour (0.5 mrem per hour) or less, and there is no significant removable (non-fixed) radioactive surface contamination as specified in paragraph (a) of this section.
(d)
Paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section do not apply to any closed transport vehicle used solely for the transportation by highway or rail of Class 7 (radioactive) material packages with contamination levels that do not exceed 10 times the levels prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section if—
(1)
A survey of the interior surfaces of the empty vehicle shows that the radiation dose rate at any point does not exceed 0.1 mSv per hour (10 mrem per hour) at the surface or 0.02 mSv per hour (2 mrem per hour) at 1 m (3.3 feet) from the surface;
(2)
Each vehicle is stenciled with the words “For Radioactive Materials Use Only” in letters at least 76 millimeters (3 inches) high in a conspicuous place on both sides of the exterior of the vehicle; and
[Amdt. 173-244, 60 FR 50307, Sept. 28, 1995, as amended by Amdt. 173-244, 61 FR 20753, May 8, 1996; 66 FR 45380, Aug. 28, 2001; 69 FR 3691, Jan. 26, 2004; 69 FR 55119, Sept. 13, 2004]