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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
C. L. Schuske, S. J. Altschuler
Nuclear Technology | Volume 20 | Number 3 | December 1973 | Pages 179-189
Technical Paper | Chemical Processing | doi.org/10.13182/NT73-A31356
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A model has been developed which relates the surface density (liter/ft2, kg/ft2) for enriched uranium and plutonium in a storage facility with its physical size. Calculations indicate that the allowable surface density for a small storage facility can be significantly increased over that for a large facility. A much higher total loading can be achieved for a given floor area by grouping several small adjacent storage rooms, each separated by a 1-ft-thick concrete wall, into a larger structure. This type of approach would need to be weighed against the added cost of 12-in.-thick interior concrete walls necessary to provide neutron isolation between adjacent rooms for a practical plant design.