2. Radiation Safety 



Because xenon-133 has a relatively soft radiation and is biologically 

 inert, hazards connected with its use are minimal. For example, a person 

 could have lain one week on the sand used in the Shore Processes Test 

 Basin tests (5.2 millicuries total activity per test) without exceeding 

 the AEC permissible whole body dosage. As shown in Appendix F, only 

 minimal radiation exposure was received by personnel handling or other- 

 wise close to the activity in any RIST experiment. 



Although the use of xenon-133 tends to minimize hazards, certain 

 safety precautions are nevertheless required. Personnel were supplied 

 with ORNL film badges or dosimeters, and cumulative radiation exposure 

 records were kept. Full-scale rehearsals of all procedures were conducted 

 prior to working with radiated sand. Test and storage areas were marked 

 in accordance with AEC regulations, and access to these areas was con- 

 trolled. Injection devices were used for emplacing the sand. Personnel 

 handling tagged sand wore protective clothing. Personnel, equipment, 

 and the survey area were monitored throughout the test to locate possible 

 contamination. 



3. Field and Laboratory Tests 



The preliminary Cape Kennedy field test proved the engineering design 

 of the detector, the analyzer system, and the sand tagging process, as 

 well as the conceptual framework of the program. The test at Surf demon- 

 strated that the sediment could be traced for a period of days in an 

 environment harsher than Florida, and field techniques were brought to 

 a fully operational level. As a bonus to this test, sediment dispersal 

 patterns for the area were derived. For a depth of 30 feet, these pat- 

 terns indicate an offshore movement toward the northwest. The test at 

 Point Conception worked toward accomplishing nearly all of the objectives 

 of the program. Although there was not enough significant data to define 

 dispersal patterns, some tentative approximations of direction of movement 

 were obtained. Despite the paucity of definitive data, these field tests 

 were successful in that they provided additional knowledge of operating 

 characteristics of the equipment and basic information which can be used 

 to improve field procedures. The test in the CERC Shore Processes Test 

 Basin showed that the use of a small quantity of high specific activity 

 xenonated sand made no significant difference from the distribution 

 patterns obtained using a larger quantity of low specific activity sand 

 (same total activity). A data omission study indicated that somewhat 

 fewer data points may be used to give significant results. 



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