Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 52, December 27, 2024
A. A licensee that uses a sealed source shall
ensure that the source is tested for leakage according to subsection (C). The
licensee shall maintain a record of leak test results in units of Becquer-els
(Bq) or microcuries, for inspection by the Department for three years after the
leak test is performed.
B. A person
authorized under
R9-7-417(C) shall
wipe a sealed source using a leak test kit or a similar method approved by the
Department, the NRC, or another Agreement State. The authorized person shall
take the wipe sample from the nearest accessible point to the sealed source
where contamination might accumulate, and ensure the wipe sample is analyzed
for radioactive contamination. The authorized person shall use a method of
analysis capable of detecting the presence of 185 Bq (0.005 microcuries) of
radioactive material on the test sample.
C. Test frequency.
1. A licensee shall ensure that each sealed
source (except an energy compensation source (ECS)) is tested in accordance
with R9-7-417. In the absence of a
certificate from a transferor that a test has been performed within six months
before transfer, a licensee shall not use the sealed source until it is
tested.
2. A licensee shall ensure
that each ECS that is not exempt from testing under subsection (E) is tested at
intervals that do not exceed three years. In the absence of a certificate from
a transfer or that a test has been performed within three years before
transfer, a licensee shall not use the ECS until it is tested.
D. Removal of leaking source from
service.
1. If a test conducted according to
this Section reveals the presence of 185 Bq (0.005 microcuries) or more of
removable radioactive material, a licensee shall remove the sealed source from
service immediately and have it decontaminated, repaired, or disposed of by a
Department, a NRC, or an Agreement State licensee that is authorized to perform
these functions. The licensee shall check the equipment associated with the
leaking source for radioactive contamination and, if the equipment is
contaminated, have it decontaminated or disposed of by a Department, a NRC, or
an Agreement State licensee that is authorized to perform the chosen
function.
2. A licensee shall
submit a report to the Department, within five days of receiving positive test
results. The report shall describe the equipment involved in the leak, the test
results, any contamination that resulted from the leaking source, and each
corrective action taken up to the date on the report.
E. The following sealed sources are exempt
from the periodic leak test requirements in subsections (A) through (D):
1. Hydrogen-3 (tritium) sources;
2. Sources that contain licensed material
with a half-life of 30 days or less;
3. Sealed sources that contain licensed
material in gaseous form;
4.
Sources of beta- or gamma-emitting radioactive material with an activity of 3.7
MBq [100 microcuries] or less; and
5. Sources of alpha- or neutron-emitting
radioactive material with an activity of 0.37 MBq [10 microcuries] or
less.
