ASTM E1893-15(2021)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: E1893 − 15 (Reapproved 2021)
Standard Guide for
Selection and Use of Portable Radiological Survey
Instruments for Performing In Situ Radiological
Assessments to Support Unrestricted Release from Further
Regulatory Controls
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1893; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.6 Non-SI units are used and appropriate for this guide as
they are industry standard. Mathematical equivalents may be
1.1 This standard provides recommendations on the selec-
provided in parentheses.
tion and use of portable instrumentation that is responsive to
levels of radiation that are close to natural background. These 1.7 This international standard was developed in accor-
instruments are employed to detect the presence of residual
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
radioactivity that is at, or below, the criteria for release from ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
further regulatory control of a component to be salvaged or
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
reused, or a surface remaining at the conclusion of decontami-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
nation and/or decommissioning.
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.2 The choice of these instruments, their operating charac-
2. Referenced Documents
teristics and the protocols by which they are calibrated and
usedwillprovideadequateassurancethatthemeasurementsof
2.1 ASTM Standards:
theresidualradioactivitymeettherequirementsestablishedfor
C998Practice for Sampling Surface Soil for Radionuclides
release from further regulatory control.
C999Practice for Soil Sample Preparation for the Determi-
nation of Radionuclides
1.3 Thisstandardisapplicabletotheinsitumeasurementof
C1000Test Method for Radiochemical Determination of
radioactive emissions that include:
Uranium Isotopes in Soil by Alpha Spectrometry
1.3.1 alpha
C1133Test Method for Nondestructive Assay of Special
1.3.2 beta (electrons)
Nuclear Material in Low-Density Scrap and Waste by
1.3.3 gamma
Segmented Passive Gamma-Ray Scanning
1.3.4 characteristic x-rays
E170Terminology Relating to Radiation Measurements and
1.3.5 Themeasurementofneutronemissionsisnotincluded
Dosimetry
as part of this standard.
E181Test Methods for Detector Calibration andAnalysis of
Radionuclides
1.4 This standard dose not address instrumentation used to
C1215Guide for Preparing and Interpreting Precision and
assess residual radioactivity levels contained in air samples,
Bias Statements in Test Method Standards Used in the
surface contamination smears, bulk material removals, or
Nuclear Industry
half/whole body personnel monitors.
2.2 ANSI Standards:
1.5 Thisstandarddoesnotaddressrecordsretentionrequire-
ANSI N323ABAmerican National Standard for Radiation
ments for calibration, maintenance, etc. as these topics are
Protection Instrumentation Test and Calibration, Portable
considered in several of the referenced documents.
Survey Instrumentation
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E10 on Nuclear
Technology and Applications and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
E10.03 on Radiological Protection for Decontamination and Decommissioning of contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Nuclear Facilities and Components. Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2021. Published February 2021. Originally the ASTM website.
approved in 1997. Last previous edition approved in 2015 as E1893-15. DOI: Available fromAmerican National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
10.1520/E1893-15R21. 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E1893 − 15 (2021)
ANSI N42.17AAmerican National Standard for Perfor- 3. Terminology
mance Specifications for Health Physics Instrumentation-
3.1 accuracy, n—the degree of agreement of an individual
Portable Instrumentation for Use in Normal Environmen-
measurement or average of measurements with an accepted
tal Conditions
reference value or level (ASTM E170).
ANSI N42.17CAmerican National Standard for Perfor-
3.2 calibrate, v—to adjust or determine the response or
mance Specifications for Health Physics Instrumentation-
reading of a device relative to a series of conventionally true
PortableInstrumentationforUseinExtremeEnvironmen-
values for radiation sources (ANSI N323AB).
tal Conditions
2.3 National Council on Radiation Protection and Measure-
3.3 calibration source, n—asusedinthisstandardguide,see
ments: certified reference material.
NCRPReportNo.57InstrumentationandMonitoringMeth-
3.4 certified reference material, n—a material that has been
ods for Radiation Protection, National Council on Radia-
characterizedbyarecognizedstandardortestinglaboratoryfor
tion Protection and Measurements, May 1978
someofitschemicalorphysicalorradiologicalproperties,and
NCRP Report No. 58A Handbook of Radioactivity Mea-
that is generally used for calibration of a measurement system
surement Procedures, National Council on Radiation Pro-
or for development or evaluation of a measurement method
tection and Measurements, 2nd Ed. February 1985
(ASTM E170).
NCRP Report No. 112Calibration of Survey Instruments
3.5 check source, n—a radioactive source, not necessarily
Used in Radiation Protection for the Assessment of
calibrated, that is used to confirm the continuing satisfactory
Ionizing Radiation Fields and Radioactive Surface
functionality of an instrument (ANSI N323AB).
Contamination, National Council on Radiation Protection
and Measurements, December 1991
3.6 control charts, n—A plot of the results of a quality
2.4 International Organization for Standardization (ISO): control action to record and demonstrate that control is being
ISO-4037-4: 2004 X and Gamma Reference Radiations for
maintained within expected statistical variation or to indicate
Calibrating Dosimeters and Dose-rate Meters and for when control is or will be lost without intervention (DOE
Determining their Response as a Function of Photon
G441.1-B).
Energy, International Organization for Standardization, DISCUSSION— This provides a method for tracking an instru-
ment’s operation to demonstrate that data collected is within
ISO-6980-2: 2005 Nuclear energy – Reference beta particle expected statistical variation and to ensure that potential
radiation - Part 2: Calibration fundamentals related to
failures and/or negative trends are identified early.
basic quantities characterizing the radiation field
3.7 functional check, n—a check (often qualitative) to de-
ISO-8769Reference Sources for the Calibration of Surface
termine that an instrument is operational and capable of
Contamination Monitors – Beta Emitters (Maximum Beta
performingitsintendedfunction.Suchchecksmayinclude,for
Energy Greater than 0.15 MeV) and Alpha Emitters,
example,batterycheck,zerosetting,orsourceresponsecheck.
International Organization for Standardization, 1988
(ANSI N323AB).
ISO 8769-2: 1996 Reference sources for the calibration of
DISCUSSION—such checks may include, for example, battery
surface contamination monitors-Part 2: Electrons of en-
check, high voltage check/adjustment, zero setting, audio
ergy less than 0.15 MeV and photons of energy less than
settings, alarm settings, scale checks and check source and
1.5 MeV
background response.
ISO-7503-1Evaluation of Surface Contamination - Part 1:
3.8 hot spot, n—localized areas of elevated activity that are
Beta Emitters (Maximum Beta Energy Greater than 0.15
less than 100 cm in extent and exceed the applicable average
MeV) and Alpha Emitters, International Organization for
guideline value by greater than a factor of three.
Standardization, 1988
ISO-7503-2Evaluation of Surface Contamination - Part 2:
3.9 lower limit of detection, n—the smallest amount of a
Tritium Surface Contamination, International Organiza-
measured quantity that will produce a net signal above the
tion for Standardization, 1988
system noise for a given measurement system or process that
ISO-7503-3: 2003 Evaluation of Surface Contamination -
will result in an acceptable false positive rate if nothing is
Part3:IsomericTransitionandElectronCaptureEmitters,
present and that will be correctly interpreted as “real” with a
Low Energy Beta Emitters (E <0.15 MeV), Interna-
desired probability.
βmax
tional Organization for Standardization, 1993 (draft)
DISCUSSION—the usual acceptable error rates for in situ
2.5 Department of Energy (DOE):
measurementsareafalsepositiverateof5%(TypeIerror)and
DOE G441.1-1BRadiation Protection Programs Guide for
a false negative rate of 5% (Type II error).
Use with Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 835,
3.10 minimum detectable activity (MDA), n—see lower
Occupational Radiation Protection, Chapter 9, Portable
limit of detection (for purposes of this standard, MDAwill be
Monitoring Instrument Calibration, 3/1/2007
applied to the measurement of a point source or “hot spot”
detection).
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, 7910 Wodmont
3.11 minimum surface sensitivity (MSS), n—see lower limit
Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814
ofdetection(forpurposesofthisstandard,MSSwillbeapplied
Available from ANSI Sales Department, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY
10018. to measurements of distributed activity, which will incorporate
E1893 − 15 (2021)
the detector area to enable direct comparison to regulatory 4.3 Use of this standard will provide greater assurance that
guidelines for surface activity). the measurements obtained will be technically and administra-
tively sufficient to meet all applicable regulatory requirements
3.12 national standard, n—an artifact, such as a well-
for unrestricted release of a component for recycle or reuse, or
characterizedinstrumentorradiationsource,thatembodiesthe
for unrestricted release of a remaining surface or area.
international definition of primary physical measurement stan-
dardfornationaluse(ASTME170);seealsocertifiedreference
5. Instrument Selection
material.
5.1 General:
3.13 precision, n—the degree of mutual agreement among
5.1.1 Criteria for release of materials for recycling, re-use,
individual measurements (ASTM E170).
or disposal, and of surfaces or areas remaining at the comple-
DISCUSSION—Relativetoatestmethod,precisionisthedegree
tionofdecontaminationordecommissioningactivities,orboth,
of mutual agreement among individual measurements made
aresetbyregulatoryauthorities.Forsurfacecontaminationand
under prescribed like conditions. The imprecision of a mea-
selected volumetrically contaminated media, values provided
surement may be characterized as the standard deviation of
by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have been
errors of measurement.
generally applied to licensed facilities, both NRC and Agree-
3.14 ratemeter, n—an analog or digital electronic character-
ment State licenses (1). ANSI has published a standard for
istic of a meter which provides the number of pulses per unit
clearance of surfaces and materials that is based on pathway
time.
modeling and end-point exposures(2). The Department of
3.15 scaler, n—a digital electronic characteristic of a meter
Energy (DOE) applies standards that are essentially equivalent
which counts the distinct number of input pulses within a
to those provided by the NRC (3). The Environmental Protec-
preset period of time.
tion Agency (EPA) and NRC have developed criteria that are
3.16 scan, n—the process whereby the surveyor moves the risk-based, resulting in radionuclide and pathway specific
probeovertheareabeingsurveyedinanattempttolocateareas release values that will be applied to decommissioning activi-
with residual radioactivity. ties.
DISCUSSION—thetechniquesofthescanningprocesswillhave 5.1.2 In situ radioactive measurements related to unre-
stricted release to be treated in this standard include:
significant affect on the MSS. Important parameters include
scan speed, detector orientation, source-detector distance, 5.1.2.1 surface contamination measurements,
5.1.2.2 measurementsofradionuclideconcentrationsinme-
scanned surface condition and the background response of the
instrument. dia (gamma measurement only), and
5.1.2.3 dose-rate measurements.
3.17 traceability, n—the ability to demonstrate that a par-
ticular measurement instrument or artifact standard has been
5.2 General Selection Criteria:
calibrated at acceptable time intervals against a national or 5.2.1 The instrument to be utilized must provide an output
international standard, or against a secondary standard which
signal that can be correlated to the appropriate release criteria
has been, in turn, calibrated against a national standard or
applicable to the residual source characteristics; for example,
transfer standard (ASTM E170).
surface emission rate, specific or total activity, dose rate.
NCRP Reports Nos. 57 and 58 describe instruments and
3.18 transfer standard, n—aphysicalmeasurementstandard
protocols addressing theses issues.
that is calibrated by direct or indirect comparison to a national
5.2.2 The characteristics and performance of the measuring
standardandistypicallyameasurementinstrumentorradiation
instruments should be evaluated against the specifications
source (ASTM E170).
described in ANSI N42.17A and ANSI N42.17C. This should
3.19 unrestricted release, n—the release of a material or a
include documentation that the instrument satisfies the calibra-
surface area for use without further radiological controls.
tion requirements described in ANSI N323AB. NCRP 112
DISCUSSION—This occurs after the material or area has been
provides additional supplemental guidance on survey instru-
surveyed and the results of the survey show that residual
ment calibration.
radioactivity is below the applicable release criteria. All
5.2.3 Documentation should be available that verifies that
instrumentation and techniques used for this application must
the applicable specification requirements described in ANSI
becapableofdetectingradioactivityatlevelsbelowtherelease
N323B for the particular measurement conditions have b
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