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- Persons outside the shadow cast by the shield are not necessarily 100% protected. Note: All persons not directly involved in operating the pXRF should be kept at least three feet away.
- A wall or partition may not be a safe shield for persons on the other side. Note: The operator should make sure that there is no one on the other side of the wall.
- Scattered radiation may bounce around corners and reach an individual, whether directly in line with the test location or not.
Specific pXRF User Requirements
Radiation from the pXRF
The user and anyone working in the area of the pXRF should always take reasonable precautions when using and working around the device. That means keeping body parts out of and away from the nose of the instrument (where the source is) and keeping a distance between the active source and themselves if not working directly with the instrument.
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Figure 4. Bruker Tracer 5 pXRF Radiation Profile.
Distance (cm) | Dose Rate (mrem/hr) | 672 Hour Expedition Exposure | 5 Hour Exposure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without Shielding | < 5 | Up to 0.056 | 38 mrem (0.38 mSv) | 0.28 mrem (0.003 mSv) |
| 20 | Up to 0.03 | 20 mrem (0.20 mSv) | 0.15 mrem (0.002 mSv) | |
| 30 | Background | Background | Background | |
| With Shielding | < 5 | Up to 12 | 8 mrem (0.008 mSv) | 0.06 mrem (0.0006 mSv) |
| 20 | Background | Background | Background | |
| 30 | Background | Background | Background |
Table 3. Calculated exposure based on onboard leak testing with an ion chamber. Background radiation detected as 2-10 µrem/hr. Measurements were performed in the direction of highest exposure based on the manufacturer's provided radiation profile of Tracer 5 serial number 900G7838 (positions H and I).
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