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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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Latest News
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.
J. D. B. Lambert, B. Y. C. So, F. S. Kirn, J. R. Armstrong, E. R. Ebersole, M. T. Laug
Nuclear Technology | Volume 39 | Number 3 | August 1978 | Pages 275-282
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT78-4
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The detection of a xenon tag released from an element with breached cladding has proved to be the best method of identifying a source of fission product release in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II. From experience gained from December 1974 to September 1977 in identifying the sources of 25 major releases, allowance can now be made for the composition changes in xenon tags brought about by irradiation and for the presence of more than one tag in the cover gas. This experience has also shown that calculated ratios of fission gas to tag gas in subassemblies can be used in identifying a source of release. An ancillary method, which uses the measured 131Xe/ 134Xe ratio in the cover gas, can also determine whether or not the source is uranium. The success of these recent improvements is reflected in the short time to identify a source and in the small number of other sources—frequently none—that are suspect.
