ASTM Int'l Radiochemical Analysis Standard - ASTM D 7316 - Aids Radioactivity Emergencies

July 1, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

While nearly all of the instrumentation employed in the field to measure radioactive materials or radiation exposure rates used to be in the hands of state radiological control agencies or federal government national response organizations, this is no longer the case, according to ASTM International.

Law enforcement personnel, first responders and other professionals have radiation detection instruments though they may not have had training to deal with radioactive materials.

In order to help these professionals make better decisions when their instruments indicate that they are dealing with radioactive materials, particularly in the early stages of an emergency situation, ASTM International Committee D19 on Water developed ASTM D 7316.

The new standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee D19.04 on Methods of Radiochemical Analysis.

"When the task group on rapid methods for radiochemical analysis was formed, our goal was to provide guides and standards for assistance immediately after an incident or emergency involving radioactive materials," said Doug Van Cleef, D19 member and a distribution and technical support manager, Advanced Measurement Technology.

"As we studied the conditions necessary at the laboratory level for useful analytical results, we quickly came to the conclusion that early, accurate on-scene information gathering was critical to this process. This guide was prepared to provide this kind of information."

Local, state and national law enforcement personnel, such as members of police and fire departments, customs agencies and border patrol, are among the intended users of ASTM D 7316.

"We hope the standard will be useful in the preparation of training programs for professionals who are not in the radiation measurement business," said Van Cleef.

"It would be great to have additional contributions from personnel who are charged with responsibility for making decisions based on real-time feedback from the scene of an incident, or who are using the data returned from the laboratories, so that we could focus our group's energies on the most pertinent standards," said Van Cleef.

ASTM D7316 was developed by Task Group D19.04.04. Formed in 2004, the purpose of the task group is to develop, test and disseminate analytic methods for use when time is of the essence, such as following a radiological emergency.

Work done within Task Group D19.04.04 is coordinated with ASTM International Committee E54 on Homeland Security Applications as well as within Committee D19.

Source: ASTM International.