Kansas Administrative Regulations › Agency 28 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT › Article 35 - RADIATION › Section 28-35-346 - Leak testing of sealed sources

Current through Register Vol. 43,
			 No. 28, July 11, 2024
(a) Requirements. Each licensee using any
			 sealed source of radioactive material shall have the source tested for leakage
			 as specified in subsection (c). A record of leak test results shall be kept in
			 units of microcuries and maintained for inspection by the department. The
			 licensee shall keep the records of the results for three years after the leak
			 test is performed.
(b) Method of
			 testing. Each test for leakage shall be performed only by a person specifically
			 authorized to perform such a test by the department, the nuclear regulatory
			 commission, an agreement state, or a licensing state. The test sample shall be
			 taken from the surface of the source, the source holder, or the surface of the
			 device in which the source is stored or mounted and on which one could expect
			 contamination to accumulate. The test sample shall be analyzed for radioactive
			 contamination. The analysis shall be capable of detecting the presence of 0.005
			 microcurie (185 Bq) of radioactive material on the test sample and shall be
			 performed by a person specifically authorized to perform such a test by the
			 department, the nuclear regulatory commission, an agreement state, or a
			 licensing state.
(c) Interval of
			 testing. Each sealed source of radioactive material, except an energy
			 compensation source (ECS), shall be tested at intervals not to exceed six
			 months. In the absence of a certificate from a transferor indicating that a
			 test has been made within the six months before the transfer, the sealed source
			 shall not be put into use until tested. If, for any reason, it is suspected
			 that a sealed source could be leaking, the sealed source shall be removed from
			 service immediately and tested for leakage as soon as practical. Each ECS that
			 is not exempt from testing in accordance with subsection (e) shall be tested at
			 intervals not to exceed three years. In the absence of a certificate from a
			 transferor that a test has been made within the three years before the
			 transfer, the ECS shall not be used until tested.
(d) Leaking or contaminated sources. If the
			 test reveals the presence of 0.005 microcurie (185 Bq) or more of leakage or
			 contamination, the licensee shall immediately withdraw the source from use and
			 shall cause it to be decontaminated, repaired, or disposed of in accordance
			 with these regulations. Each licensee shall check the equipment associated with
			 the leaking source for radioactive contamination and, if contaminated, shall
			 have the equipment decontaminated or disposed of by a nuclear regulatory
			 commission licensee or an agreement state licensee that is authorized to
			 perform these functions. A report describing the equipment involved, the test
			 result, and the corrective action taken shall be filed with the department
			 within five days after receiving the test results.
(e) Exemptions. The following sources shall
			 be exempt from the periodic leak test requirements of this regulation:
(1) Hydrogen-3 (tritium) sources;
(2) sources of radioactive material with a
			 half-life of 30 days or less;
(3)
			 sealed sources of radioactive material in gaseous form;
(4) sources of radioactive material emitting
			 beta, beta-gamma, or gamma radiation, with an activity of not more than 100
			 microcuries (3.7 Mbq); and
(5)
			 sources of alpha-emitting radioactive material with an activity of not more
			 than 10 micro-curies (0.370 MBq).