Contamination and Airborne Control Flashcards
7 cards from real NRRPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Contamination and Airborne Control flashcards as text
When performing personnel decontamination, which sequence is correct?
Answer: Resurvey while still in PPE, carefully remove PPE from outside-in, then shower and resurvey
The correct sequence minimizes spread: survey in PPE, carefully doff from cleanest surface outward, then shower and resurvey to confirm decontamination.
What is the primary hazard associated with re-suspension of radioactive surface contamination?
Answer: Settled contamination becomes airborne and creates an inhalation hazard
Re-suspension converts fixed surface contamination into an airborne hazard, dramatically increasing the potential for internal contamination via inhalation.
Which factor most directly determines the assigned protection factor (APF) of a respirator?
Answer: The respirator's ability to reduce the wearer's exposure relative to outside concentration
APF is defined as the maximum ratio of outside to inside concentration that a properly functioning respirator provides to a trained wearer.
A radioactive liquid spill occurs on an open bench. What is the FIRST priority action?
Answer: Limit the spread of contamination by covering the spill with absorbent material
The immediate priority is containment — preventing the spill from spreading further — before notifications and decontamination begin.
For alpha-emitting contamination, why is the smear (wipe) method the preferred survey technique rather than direct GM survey?
Answer: Alpha particles have very short range in air and cannot travel from a surface to the detector window
Alpha particles travel only a few centimeters in air, so unless the detector is in direct contact, activity on a surface cannot reach the tube; wipes bring material to a suitable counter.
Under 10 CFR 20, what is the derived air concentration (DAC) concept used to calculate?
Answer: The airborne concentration of a radionuclide that, if breathed for a working year, would deliver the occupational ALI
DAC is derived by dividing the ALI (Annual Limit on Intake) by the volume of air breathed in a 2,000-hour working year (2.4 × 10³ m³).
What type of air sampler provides real-time, continuous monitoring of airborne radioactivity levels in a controlled area?
Answer: Continuous air monitor (CAM) with a detector and alarm
A CAM draws air through a filter continuously and counts the collected activity in real time, alarming if concentrations reach set points.