Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)

2000
ISBN: 0-662-29448-3
Cat. No.: H46-1/30-2000E

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Table of Contents

• PREFACE
• ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE GUIDELINES
• INTRODUCTION
• 1 NORM AS A RADIATION CONCERN
  • 1.1 Definition
  • 1.2 Purpose of the Canadian NORM Guidelines
  • 1.3 Industries with NORM radiation
  • 1.4 Description and Sources of NORM
    • 1.4.1 Background Radiation
    • 1.4.2 Radionuclides and Ionizing Radiation
    • 1.4.3 Half-Life and the Radioactive Decay Series
    • 1.4.4 Radioactive Equilibrium
    • 1.4.5 Types of Radiation
  • 1.5 Fundamental Radiation Protection Quantities
  • 1.6 Background Radiation Dose Summary
• 2 THE NORM STANDARDS -- BASIS AND CRITERIA
  • 2.1 Uniformity of Protection
  • 2.2 Guideline Basis
  • 2.3 The Acceptability of Occupational Risks in Industry
  • 2.4 Recommended Radiation Dose Limits
    • 2.4.1 Incremental Dose
    • 2.4.2 Effective Dose
    • 2.4.3 Dose Constraint
• 3 DEVELOPMENT OF A NORM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
  • 3.1 The NORM Program Classifications
  • 3.2 NORM Classification/Thresholds
    • 3.2.1 Investigation Threshold
    • 3.2.2 NORM Management Threshold
    • 3.2.3 Dose Management Threshold
    • 3.2.4 Radiation Protection Management Threshold
  • 3.3 Introduction of a NORM Program
    • 3.3.1 Initial Review
    • 3.3.2 Radiation Dose Assessment
    • 3.3.3 Evaluation and Program Classification
    • 3.3.4 ALARA
• 4 DERIVED WORKING LIMITS (DWLs) FOR NORM
  • 4.1 Gamma Radiation Dose Rate
    • 4.1.1 Investigation Threshold
    • 4.1.2 Dose Management Threshold
    • 4.1.3 Radiation Protection Threshold
  • 4.2 Radon Concentration
    • 4.2.1 Introduction
    • 4.2.2 Investigation Derived Working Limit for Radon
    • 4.2.3 NORM Management for Radon
    • 4.2.4 Radiation Protection Management for Radon
  • 4.3 Annual Limit on Intake (ALI)
    • 4.3.1 Occupational ALIs
    • 4.3.2 Public ALIs
    • 4.3.3 Inhalation Control Measures
• 5 NORM MATERIAL MANAGEMENT
  • 5.1 Non-radioactive Hazards of NORM Materials
  • 5.2 NORM Derived Release Limits
    • 5.2.1 Unrestricted Classification
    • 5.2.2 Release with Conditions
  • 5.3 Derived Release Limits for NORM Materials
    • 5.3.1 Diffuse NORM
    • 5.3.2 Discrete NORM
    • 5.3.3 Surface Contamination
• 6 STANDARDS FOR THE TRANSPORT OF NORM
  • 6.1 Unrestricted NORM Shipments
  • 6.2 NORM Shipments Subject to the Canadian Guidelines
  • 6.3 NORM Shipments governed by the Federal Transport Regulations
  • 6.4 NORM Surface Contamination Exclusions
  • 6.5 Additional Information
• REFERENCES
• APPENDICES
  • A Publications Address List
  • B Government Contacts
  • C Radiation Unit Conversion Factors
  • D Effective Dose Calculations
  • E Derivation of Diffuse NORM Unconditional Derived Release Limits
  • F Elements of a Formal Radiation Protection Program
  • G Glossary of Radiation Terminology

Figures and Tables

• Figure 1.1 Chemical Symbols and Important Characteristics of the U-238, Th-232 Radioactive Decay Series and K-40
• Figure 1.2 Average Annual Radiation Dose to Canadians
• Table 2.1 Radiation Dose Limits
• Figure 3.1 NORM Classification Flowchart
• Figure 4.1 Radon Program Classifications
• Table 4.1 Annual Limits on Intake for Occupationally Exposed Workers
• Table 5.1 Unconditional Derived Release Limits -Discrete NORM Sources
• Table 5.3 Surface Contamination Unconditional Derived Release Limits -- Discrete NORM Sources