Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 688895c2-d1d9-44f3-9c79-3cf0daa88510
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: 
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0037/ML003739541.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.5
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
A. INTRODUCTION Paragraph (e) of § 20.106, "Concentrations in effluents to unrestricted areas," of 10 CFR Part 20, "Standards for Protection against Radiation," provides that the Commission may limit the quantities of radioactive materials released in air or water by licensees during a specified period of time if it appears that the daily intake of radioactive materials from air, water, or food by a suitable sample of an exposed population group, averaged over a time period not exceeding one year, would otherwise exceed specified quantities. Section 20.201, "Surveys," of 10 CFR Part 20 requires that a licensee conduct surveys of levels of radiation or concentrations of radioactive material as necessary for compliance with AEC regulations in Part 20. Paragraph (c) of § 20.1, "Purpose," of 10 CFR Part 20 states that every reasonable effort should be made by AEC licensees to maintain radiation exposures, and releases of radioactive materials in effluents to unrestricted areas, as far below the limits specified in Part 20 as practicable, i.e., as low as is practicably achievable, taking into account the state of technology, and the economics of improvements in relation to benefits to the public health and safety and in relation to the utilization of atomic energy in the public interest. This guide describes procedures acceptable to the Regulatory staff for sampling and analysis of plutoniumn in soil with the sensitivity and accuracy needed to adequately monitor plutonium in soil in the environs of fuel reprocessing and fuel fabrication facilities. B. DISCUSSION The Regulatory staff has reviewed and evaluated the data on plutonium in environmental and biological samples and has concluded that plutonium concentrations in these media are generally low and often below the detection limit of state.of-the-art equipment, and should be of little significance in terms May 1974 JIDE of exposure to humans. Nevertheless, the long half-life (24,390 years) of the predominant