Nicholas - I am not aware of the regulatory or quasi-regulatory requirements for this. BUT I can tell you that in many years of trying to create in-plant exercise and training scenarios, I have yet to find even a marginally-credible scenario [other than radio-iodines] where the internal dose from NPP nuclide mix is a significant fraction of the much higher external dose received when inhaling the nuclides causing the internal dose. Once you eliminate radio-iodines and alphas from the scenario, then any internal dose is overwhelmed by the external dose.
Outside the plant, where your field teams are, the only inhalation concern is radio-iodine. KI is a quite effective, and probably less dangerous than running around in the hot sun or cold wind with impaired breathing. And sends a lot better message to the public and news media that will be following the teams around. Perhaps it makes sense to have them available - if real measurements show they are useful, even if I can't imagine such a scenario. If you do or don't have respirators, you still need to make sure to have an effective program to prove to your teams after they return that they didn't need them, or that they were effective. If you have a good WBC [like ours] and if it is working after whatever caused the teams to be deployed, this is the best way. As a back-up, you should have an alternate method to determine thyroid uptake, or prove it wasn't there. Most any portable spectrometer can be calibrated to do this. [commercial alert] We have a new hand-held shielded CZT detector that is quite handy for this, as well as doing lots of other in-plant quantitative in-situ measurements. [commercial over] Not sure if this practical and technical response helps your analysis, but it didn't cost you anything. Best regards frazier Frazier Bronson CHP Scientific Director Meriden Technologies - Canberra 800 Research Parkway Meriden CT 06450 USA [email protected] From: Powernet [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of JUSTICE, NICHOLAS via Powernet Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2018 4:26 PM To: [email protected] Cc: JUSTICE, NICHOLAS Subject: [Powernet] Respirators for EP Field Teams Are there any plants out there that do NOT use respirators for their Emergency Planning Field Teams measuring plumes, etc.? Thanks, [Signature small]
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