Standardization and regulatory control on radiation processing dosimetry in China

In 1983, in order to suit the rapid development of radiation processing, a programme of high dose standardization was initiated in China. As a result, a high dose measurement system for gamma - rays including primary standards, transfer standards and working dosimeters, has been established. In this paper, the scheme of dosimetry traceability to national standards for gamma - rays is illustrated. The aspects of standardization and the progress of dosimetry of radiation processing are also outlined.

In order to implement “the Law on Metrology of the Peoples Republic of China” and to guarantee the product quality of radiation processing. SBTS and SCTS have jointly issued “the Provisional Regulation of Metrological Supervision and Management for Radiation Processing”. A series of national standards, verification regulations and technical norms have been enacted and issued on the radiation processing dosimetry and on the approval of irradiation facilities. These documents are expected to play significant roles in the dose measurement standardization and the regularity control.     

大科学装置同步辐射光源在生命分析化学中的应用

大科学装置的建设和水平是一个国家科技发展程度的标志. 同步辐射装置是一种先进的多学科交叉的高端大科学研究设施, 作为独特的宽光谱高亮度光源, 同步辐射光源提供了其他光源所无法比拟的优势. 我国迄今已建成的最大的大科学装置—— 上海光源的建立和应用是新中国成立60年来的重大成就之一, 标志着我国在建设国际先进水平的大型科学实验装置方面具备了高水平的技术和集成与创新的能力, 已进入国际先进行列. 本文侧重介绍同步辐射光源在生命分析化学领域中的巨大作用, 并以上海光源为例介绍同步辐射光源装置的发展和应用状况, 旨在唤起和推动我国分析化学家的高度重视, 并充分利用我国这一先进的大型科学装置, 将生命分析化学的研究推进到一个崭新的、更高的层次.     

Advancements in internationally accepted standards for radiation processing

Three subcommittees of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) are developing standards on various aspects of radiation processing. Subcommittee E10.01 “Dosimetry for Radiation Processing” has published 9 standards on how to select and calibrate dosimeters, where to put them, how many to use, and how to use individual types of dosimeter systems. The group is also developing standards on how to use gamma, electron beam, and x-ray facilities for radiation processing, and a standard on how to treat dose uncertainties. Efforts are underway to promote inclusion of these standards into procedures now being developed by government agencies and by international groups such as the United Nations' International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation (ICGFI) in order to harmonize regulations and help avoid trade barriers.

Subcommittee F10.10 “Food Processing and Packaging” has completed standards on good irradiation practices for meat and poultry and for fresh fruits, and is developing similar standards for the irradiation of seafood and spices. These food-related standards are based on practices previously published by ICGFI.

Subcommittee E10.07 on “Radiation Dosimetry for Radiation Effects on Materials and Devices” principally develops standards for determining doses for radiation hardness testing of electronics. Some, including their standards on the Fricke and TLD dosimetry systems are equally useful in other radiation processing applications.     

Status of radiation processing dosimetry

Several milestones have marked the field of radiation processing dosimetry since IMRP 7. Among them are the IAEA symposium on High Dose Dosimetry for Radiation Processing and the international Workshops on Dosimetry for Radiation Processing organized by the ASTM.

Several standards have been or are being published by the ASTM in this field, both on dosimetry procedures and on the proper use of specific dosimeter systems. Several individuals are involved in this international cooperation which contribute significantly to the broader understanding of the role of dosimetry in radiation processing.

The importance of dosimetry is emphasized in the standards on radiation sterilization which are currently drafted by the European standards organization CEN and by the international standards organization ISO. In both standards, dosimetry plays key roles in characterization of the facility, in qualification of the process and in routine process control.

As a function of the work on the standards, several issues are now receiving major attention. These include traceability and uncertainty limits of the dose measurements, calibration procedures, environmental influence and combination of influence factors such as dose rate and temperature.

The increased attention to these factors have increased the demands on existing dosimeter systems, and rather than new dosimeters, the latest years have seen improvements on established dosimeters.     

The minicellirradiator: A new system for a new market

Since the commissioning of the first industrial Gamma Irradiator design, designers and operators of irradiation systems have been attempting to meet the specific production requirements and challenges presented to them. This objective has resulted in many different versions of irradiators currently in service today, all of which had original charters and many of which still perform very well within even the new requirements of this industry.

Continuing changes in the marketplace have, however, placed pressures on existing designs due to a combination of changing dose requirements for sterlization, increased economic pressures from the specific industry served for both time and location and the increasing variety of product types requiring processing. Additionally, certain market areas which could never economically support a typical gamma processing facility have either not been serviced, or have forced potential gamma users to transport product long distances to one of these existing facilities.

The MiniCell^TM removes many of the traditional barriers previously accepted in the radiation processing industry for building a processing facility in a location. Its reduced size and cost have allowed many potential users to consider in-house processing and its ability to be quickly assembled allow it to meet market needs in a much more timely fashion than the previous designs.

The MiniCell system can cost effectively meet many of the current market needs of reducing total cost of processing and also be flexible enough to process product in a wide range of industries effectively.     

The effect of ionizing radiation on microbiological decontamination of medical herbs and biologically active compounds

Several thousand tons of medical herbs are produced annually by pharmaceutical industry in Poland. This product should be of highest quality and microbial purity. Recently, chemical methods of decontamination are recognized as less safe, thus irradiation technique was chosen to replace them in use. In the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology the national program on the application of irradiation to the decontamination of medical herbs is in progress now. The purpose of the program is to elaborate, on the basis of research work, the facility standards and technological instructions indispensable for the practice of radiation technology.     

Development of an up-flow irradiation device for electron beam wastewater treatment

Electron beam irradiation processing is an available technology to treat sludge, groundwater, surface water and industrial and municipal wastewater. The use of this technology into environmental areas has moved slowly because industry and government are always conservative in the adoption of new processes, especially when they can not observe the efficiency and cost effectiveness of a treatment in a full scale facility.

In this direction the hydraulic system where the water is presented to the electron beam governs the efficacy of this technology. The present work is based on the development of the irradiation device, an up-flow delivery system that alleviates the dependence of energy transfer to the stream with the beam accelerating voltage (penetration capability).

In this work a series of experiments were performed to establish the relationships between accelerating voltage ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 MeV, current, water flow and deposited dose in order to optimize the operating parameters and the selection of a cost-effective commercial electron beam.     

Implementation of new IAEA isotope transport regulations

In the drive for continuous improvement in safety and control, the international regulations which govern the shipment of radioactive materials are being extended and updated. This will have an effect on the way in which Co-60 is transported to and from radiation processing plants. The nature of the regulatory changes is explored in this paper and the effect on users is discussed     

A software architectural framework specification for neutron activation analysis

Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) is a sensitive multi-element nuclear analytical technique that has been routinely applied by research reactor (RR) facilities to environmental, nutritional, health related, geological and geochemical studies. As RR facilities face calls to increase their research output and impact, with existing or reducing budgets, automation of NAA offers a possible solution. However, automation has many challenges, not the least of which is a lack of system architecture standards to establish acceptable mechanisms for the various hardware/software and software/software interactions among data acquisition systems, specialised hardware such as sample changers, sample loaders, and data processing modules. This lack of standardization often results in automation hardware and software being incompatible with existing system components, in a facility looking to automate its NAA operations. This limits the availability of automation to a few RR facilities with adequate budgets or in-house engineering resources. What is needed is a modern open system architecture for NAA, that provides the required set of functionalities. This paper describes such an “architectural framework” (OpenNAA), and portions of a reference implementation. As an example of the benefits, calculations indicate that applying this architecture to the compilation and QA steps associated with the analysis of 35 elements in 140 samples, with 14 SRM’s, can reduce the time required by over 80 %. The adoption of open standards in the nuclear industry has been very successful over the years in promoting interchangeability and maximising the lifetime and output of nuclear measurement systems. OpenNAA will provide similar benefits within the NAA application space, safeguarding user investments in their current system, while providing a solid path for development into the future.     

Twenty-six years experience of commercialization on potato irradiation at Shihoro, Japan

The township of Shihoro is Japan’s biggest and most advanced dairy and field farming district which has been producing potatoes as a key crop. The potato irradiation plant was built at Shihoro in 1973 with a potato processing complex and has been shipping some 15,000 tons of sprout-inhibited potatoes a year during the sprouting season. From a technical viewpoint, the radiation efficiency of the Shihoro irradiator is lower than that of the usual irradiation facility using a carton box. The success of the Shihoro irradiator is shown in that radiation processing has been effectively included into one of the storage systems of a huge potato distribution facility. The sprout-inhibited potatoes as such are no guarantee of better business derived from potatoes, but producers see the merit of this process, because it makes possible year-round plant operations and planned shipments, keeps employees in year-round service and prevents rural depopulation, with an increase in the volume of business by expanding the area under crop. Recently in Japan, many companies have interests in commercial irradiation of spices, medical herbs and farm animal feeds before application to common foods.     

Radioactivity from natural,industrial, and other sources

Natural radioactivity and the use of x-rays and radioactive substances in the practice of medicine are the main sources of radiation exposure to the general public. The protection standards used in all countries are based on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. These standards are being observed by the nuclear industry and have succeeded in protecting both nuclear workers and members of the general public. The dose received from nuclear power generation is a tiny fraction compared to the doses received from nature and medical practice.However, a great gap exists between the risks of low-level radiation exposure as perceived by the public and the risk that actually exists. This is true not only concerning nuclear power generation, but also with respect to the need to dispose of both high-level and low-level wastes. In addition, the dangers of plutonium have become distorted in the public mind. Fifty years of research into the biological effects of plutonium have been reassuring and an excellent safety record has been achieved in the industrial production of this material.     

萤石成分分析方法的标准现状与研究进展

萤石是一种重要的战略性非金属矿产资源,本文对中国国家标准、行业标准、国际标准（ISO）、美国标准（ASTM）以及俄罗斯标准（GOST）中的萤石成分分析标准方法的现状进行了介绍。对近年来X射线荧光光谱法（XRF）、电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法（ICP-AES）、电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）、激光诱导击穿光谱法（LIBS）等技术在萤石成分分析中的应用以及标准物质/标准样品研制情况进行了总结和评述。文章认为,萤石分析测试技术标准体系相对完备,XRF、ICP-AES、ICP-MS等仪器分析测试技术已普遍应用于萤石样品实验室分析,建议尽快研究并建立萤石中稀土等微量元素测定的标准方法,并开展相应标准物质/标准样品的研制,同时应大力开展原位在线分析技术的研究与开发,以适应工业在线自动化监测的需求,LIBS与在线XRF技术联合在萤石在线分析方面具有良好的应用潜力。     

The practice for eight-year operation of the cobalt-60 irradiation facility at Beijing Radiation Application Research Center

The radiation facility was made by Sulzer Company in Switzerland. The designed capacity is 3.7 × 10¹⁶Bq( 1MCi) and 12.21 × 10¹⁵Bq(330kCi)of Cobalt -60 source was loaded at the first phase. Current cobalt -60 source-loading is 2.4 × 10¹⁶Bq(650kCi). The equipment assembling and installation regulating and testing were completed at the end of 1988. The facility was put into commissioning in 1989. It operates 7000–8000 hours per year. The facility has been utilized to carry out many research work and irradiate many kinds of items. Lots of economical benefits have been gained since then. Now it is becoming a radiation processing model base in China. This paper summarized the strong and weak points of the design of the facility through in eight years' practice and analysed the economical benefits.     

Radiation safety training for industrial irradiators: What are we trying to accomplish?

Radiation safety training at an industrial irradiator facility takes a different approach than the traditional methods and topics used at other facilities. Where the more routine industrial radiation users focus on standard training topics of contamination control, area surveys, and the traditional dogma of time, distance, and shielding, radiation safety in an industrial irradiation facility must be centered on preventing accidents. Because the primary methods for accomplishing that goal are engineering approaches such as safety system interlocks, training provided to facility personnel should address system operation and emergency actions. This presents challenges in delivering radiation safety to an audience of varied educational and technical background where little to no commercially available training material specific to this type of operation exists.     

Neutron depth profiling applications at The University of Texas research reactor

The neutron depth profiling (NDP) technique has become an increasingly important method to nondestructively measure the absolute concentration versus depth of various elements in substrates. A permanent NDP facility is operational at a tangential beam port of the 1-MW TRIGA Mark II research reactor at The University of Texas at Austin (UT). This facility was developed to perform materials research, specifically measurements of interest to the microelectronics industry. Applications of the UT-NDP facility include measurements of boron-10 profiles in borophosphosilicate glass samples and helium-3 depth profiles of implanted helium-3 in metals, alloys and amorphous materials. A study is underway to determine radiation damage and microstructural changes in stainless steel samples by helium irradiation using NDP and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Another study, currently planned, is to measure surface wear by measuring the depth profiles of implanted beryllium-7 and sodium-22 in various materials.     

Development of perfluorocarbon (PFC) primary standards for monitoring of emissions from aluminum production

An EPA Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP) program has been formed to help US primary producers focus on reducing the emissions of two perfluorocarbons (PFCs), tetrafluoromethane (CF4) and hexafluoroethane (C2F6), during the production of aluminum. To ensure comparability of measurements over space and time, traceability to national sources was desirable. Hence, the EPA approached the NIST to develop a suite of primary standards to cover a mole fraction (concentration) range of 0.1 to 1400 micromol mol(-1) for CF4 and 0.01 to 150 micromol mol(-1) of C2F6. A total of eight gravimetric PFC gas standards were prepared with relative expanded uncertainties of < or = 0.52% (approximately 95% confidence level). These primary standards were ultimately used to assign values to a series of secondary gas standards at three mole-fraction levels with relative expanded uncertainties ranging from +/- 0.7% to 5.3% (approximately 95% confidence level). This series of secondary standards was used within the aluminum industry to calibrate instruments used to make emission measurements. Assignment of values to the secondary standards was performed by use of gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). Real time pot-line and stack samples from a local aluminum plant were also obtained and sub-samples sent to each participating facility for analysis. The data generated from each facility were sent to NIST for analysis. The maximum difference between the NIST and individual facilities' values for the same sub-sample was +/- 26%.     

CCRI supplementary comparison of standards for absorbed dose to water in 60Co gamma radiation at radiation processing dose levels

Six national standards for absorbed dose to water in ⁶⁰Co gamma radiation at the dose levels used in radiation processing have been compared over the range from 5 to 30 kGy using the alanine dosimeters of the NIST and the NPL as the transfer dosimeters. The standards are in agreement at the level of around 0.5%, which is significantly smaller than the stated standard uncertainties.     

A new label dosimetry system

A new label dosimeter which changes its color by large radiation doses has been developed. The green color of the unirradiated dosimeter gradually turns to brown then to red at high doses. The label dosimeter was prepared with a peal-off paper backing, allowing it to stick by self-adhesion to a product box. Three types of dosimeters having different sensitivities to radiation doses were prepared. Correlations were established between absorbed doses and color scale or the green/red axis of the irradiated dosimeters, using a micro color unit equipped with a data station. The data were analyzed to determine the reproducibility of the reflectance measured from the label dosimeters exposed to different doses of γ radiation. These dosimeters showed great stability on extended storage before and after irradiation.Detailed measurements of absorbed dose extremes (D_min and D_max) in product boxes, processed in the Egypt Mega Gamma I radiation processing facility, were obtained using these dosimeters. These dosimeters are currently available in large quantities and are inexpensive, which makes them suitable for routine high-dose applications in radiation processing of materials.     

The automatic interlocking system of electron absorbed dose monitoring and irradiation process control

The paper describes the real time computer control system used for monitoring and control parameters of the electron irradiation facility. The process control is achieved through the control system made up of a personal computer, three I/O boards and an ISA interface board. The improved bipartition transport theory has been applied to calculate the absorbed dose of low energy electron. The experimental results proved that the dose control precision of the system has been greatly raised, and the other performance indexes have been obviously improved. This interlocking system may be used for dose monitoring and process control in BB radiation processing.     

Process control and dosimetry in a multipurpose irradiation facility

Availability of the multipurpose irradiation facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute has encouraged several local industries to use gamma radiation for sterilization or decontamination of various products. Prior to routine processing, dose distribution studies are undertaken for each product and product geometry. During routine irradiation, dosimeters are placed at the minimum and maximum dose positions of a process load.