Ethics Guidelines
Part B - Guidelines for Projects Involving Ionising Radiation
Section 2 - Radioactive Sources for Use in Antarctica
2.1 Sealed Sources
The following criteria shall be applied when selecting a radioactive substance for sealed source use in Antarctica.
2.1.1 It shall be appropriate to the particular application with regard to its activity, half-life, energy and type of the radiations emitted. Half-life in particular should be as short as practicable.
2.1.2 It shall not be a radioactive substance of very high radiotoxicity unless:
- it is used for the production of neutrons required for the particular purpose;
- it is a very small amount (less than one Annual Limit of Intake (ALI)) and is desirable for a particular purpose (e.g. calibration). For calculation of ALI figure refer to Dose coefficients for intakes of radionuclides by workers (1994). ICRP Publication 68. Annals of the ICRP 24(4);
- no other radioactive substances that produce radiation of a suitable type and energy for the particular purpose is available and it is necessary to carry out the functions using the radioactive source in Antarctica rather than in Australia.
2.1.3 The radioactive substance should be in a form resistant to dispersal, solution or corrosion should its encapsulation be ruptured. For example, Cs137 would be expected to be in the form of a ceramic bead rather than in caesium chloride powder form.
2.1.4 Radioactive sources of significant toxicity but such weak gamma/X emission as to be difficult to locate it from its emissions, should be avoided.
2.1.5 The encapsulation of sources of significant activity (more than one ALI) shall be special form and the encapsulation shall meet the requirements of American National Standard n 542.1977 (NBS Handbook 126) or equivalent.
2.1.6 Sealed sources shall be wipe tested prior to being shipped to the Antarctic.
2.2 Unsealed Sources
The following criteria shall be applied when selecting a radioactive substance for unsealed source use in the Antarctic.
2.2.1 Unsealed radioisotopes shall be appropriate to the particular application with regard to measurement and tracing or tagging. If the experiment involves radiation doses to animals and/or release of radioisotopes to the Antarctic environment then the method in use should already be well established as appropriate for that experiment.
2.2.2 Radioisotopes of low toxicity should be selected. A short half-life is preferable. Long half-life isotopes should be avoided except where the toxicity is low, such as C14. Release of any long half-life radioisotope to the Antarctic environment should be avoided if at all possible.
2.2.3 The amount of each radioisotope shall not be more than required.
(ASP&C)
May 2002
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