First Quarter 2011
INL Quarterly Site Environmental Report
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APPENDIX B
SUMMARY OF MDCs AND DCGs

Table B-1. Summary of Approximate Minimum Detectable Concentrations for Radiological Analyses Performed During First Quarter 2011.

 

Sample Type

Analysis

Approximate Minimum Detectable Concentrationa

(MDC)

Derived Concentration Guideb

(DCG)

Air

(particulate filter)e

Gross alphac

4.48 x 10-16 µCi/mL

2 x 10-14 µCi/mL

Gross betad

1.14 x 10-15 µCi/mL

3 x 10-12 µCi/mL

Specific gamma (137Cs)

1.69 x 10-16 µCi/mL

4 x 10-10 µCi/mL

238Pu

Not Available

3 x 10-14 µCi/mL

239/240Pu

Not Available

2 x 10-14 µCi/mL

241Am

Not Available

2 x 10-14 µCi/mL

90Sr

3.06 x 10-17 µCi/mL

9 x 10-12 µCi/mL

Air (charcoal cartridge)e

131I

1.32 x 10-15 µCi/mL

4 x 10-10 µCi/mL

Air

(atmospheric moisture)

3H

65.4 pCi/Lwater

1 x 10-7 µCi/mLair

Air (precipitation)

3H

70.2 pCi/L

2 x 10-3 µCi/mL

Milk

131I

0.63 pCi/L

--

137Cs

1.17 pCi/L

--

90Sr

1.4 pCi/kg

--

a      The MDC is an estimate of the concentration of radioactivity in a given sample type that can be identified with a 95 percent level of confidence and precision of plus or minus 100 percent under a specified set of typical laboratory measurement conditions.

b      DCGs, set by the DOE, represent reference values for radiation exposure.  They are based on a radiation dose of 100 mrem/yr for exposure through a particular exposure mode such as direct exposure, inhalation, or ingestion of water.

c      The DCG for gross alpha is equivalent to the DCGs for 239,240Pu and 241Am.

d      The DCG for gross beta is equivalent to the DCGs for 228Ra

e      The approximate MDC is based on an average filtered air volume (pressure corrected) of 445 m3/week.

 

 

First Quarter 2011
INL Quarterly Site Environmental Report
Return to Index