Radiological Laboratory Decommissioning – MARRSIM Process and Case Studies

Radioisotope usage in support of biomedical and pharmaceutical research has been steadily declining since the mid 1990’s. Many private and institutional radioactive materials (RAM) licensees are repurposing or divesting themselves of laboratory space previously utilized for radioactive materials use. State and federal regulatory agencies require the use of the guidelines specified in the Multi Agency Radiation Site Survey and Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) in order to release RAM labs for unrestricted use. The MARSSIM method was developed jointly by the NRC, DOE and EPA and provides for a statistically defensible method of assessing the level of residual contamination. Attendees will learn the basic MARSSIM process supported by relevant case studies from the R&D laboratory perspective. The basic MARSSIM approach is also valid for chemical and biological decommissioning.