A further consideration is the beta dose to the hands resulting from
handling objects contaminated with fallout material.
Although sone data sre
ayailable on beta burns from handling radioactive objects, the conditions
are so different from those associated with fallout that eomparisona proba-
bly would not be valid.®
If the above assuzpticns and calculations are correct concerning con~
tanination of a general area from fallout, then the transfer of all the
radioactive material to the hands from an object of equal area would not
constitute a hazard, ‘Thus, one might consider ueing as eriteria for monitoring objects, the dose readings givan above for monitoring personnel —
outside the general rad{ation field.
yo
However, the problex is more complex since the hands may come inte
contact with contaxinsted surfaces many tines larger in area than the
hands, with en undetermined percentage of activity being transferred to
the hands,
Of course, an added uncertainty is the frequency of washing of
the hands and/or the rubbing pff of the material froz the hands,
Yurther, one might speculate that a given surface could have signifi-
cantly higher contarinstion than the general area and that the handling of
soa ae
This might be true because
of the greater amount of activity transferred to the hands or because of
the doses delivered during the tine of actually handling the object,
vad.
¥ ‘
Ro
such @ surface could constitute a grester risk,
The
uncertainty of the percentage of transfer of material bas been mentioned.
One uncertainty in the second case is the length of tins the object wuld
Aya
Ba wv
be handled.
®*Beta Ray Burns of Huzan Skin", Kn-owlton, et al. Ihe Journsl of the
nerlean Hedi
soc
on,
V, 142, Bo. 4. Sept. 24, 1949.
Po
sf 72
-ae-
4/