Loose radioactive material that comes off on a smear, a glove or a shoe, as opposed to fixed contamination bound into the surface. It is measured by wiping 100 square centimetres with a filter paper and counting it, and many US plants post an area as contaminated at around 1,000 dpm per 100 cm2 beta-gamma. Removable contamination is what spreads and gets inhaled, so it drives protective clothing and respirator decisions.
Smears show 20K of removable contamination on the floor by the pump, upgrade the posting and go to double PCs.
Also heard as
- loose contamination
- transferable contamination
- smearable contamination
Related terms
Contamination
Radioactive material in a place it is not wanted, such as on surfaces, skin, clothing or inside the body.
Smear
A wipe of a surface with filter paper, counted to measure how much removable contamination is present.
Anti-Cs
Anti-contamination clothing: the coveralls, hoods, gloves and overshoes worn to keep contamination off workers.
Decontamination
Removal of radioactive contamination from people, tools, surfaces or systems to reduce dose and spread.