SPREADSHEET APPLICATION TO CLASSIFY RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL FOR SHIPMENT

A spreadsheet application has been developed at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory to aid the shipper when classifying nuclide mixtures of normal form, radioactive materials. The results generated by this spreadsheet are used to confirm the proper U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) classification when offering radioactive material packages for transport. The user must input to the spreadsheet the mass of the material being classified, the physical form (liquid or not), and the activity of each regulated nuclide. The spreadsheet uses these inputs to calculate two general values: (1) the specific activity of the material, and (2) a summation calculation of the nuclide content. The specific activity is used to determine if the material exceeds the DOT minimal threshhold for a radioactive material (Yes or No). If the material is calculated to be radioactive, the specific activity is also used to determine if the material meets the activity requirement for one of the three Low Specific Activity designations (LSA-1, LSA-11, LSA-III, or Not LSA). Again, if the material is calculated to be radioactive, the summation calculation is then used to determine which activity category the material will meet (Limited Quantity, Type A, Type B, or Highway Route Controlled Quantity). This spreadsheet has proven to be an invaluable aid for shippers of radioactive materials at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.