Article
Article
Decontamination of radioactive materials
Article By:
Wood, Christopher J. Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.182900
The removal of radioactive contamination which is deposited on surfaces or spread throughout a work area. Personnel decontamination is included. Radioactive contamination is a potential health hazard and, in addition, may interfere with the normal operation of plants, particularly when radiation detection instruments are used for control purposes. Thus, the purpose of decontamination is the detection and removal of radioactive contaminants from unwanted locations to locations where they do not create a health hazard or interfere with plant operation. The objective of a good decontamination operation is to remove the radioactive contamination permanently from the human environment, with minimum radiation exposure.
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