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ST 6.1 –
Protección radiológica de Trabajadores I (orientada a la industria)
RADIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF RADIOACTIVE TRACERS USED
IN OIL INDUSTRY
De Oliveira, Felipe Luz; da Silva, Francisco Cesar Augusto*
Instituto de radioproteção e dosimetria/CNEN. Brasil.
* Responsible author, email: DASILVA@IRD.GOV.BR
Radioactive tracers or radiotracers have been widely used in industry to optimize process, to
solve problems, improve quality to products, save energy and reduce pollution. The technical,
economic and environmental benefits have been recognized by industrial and environmental
sectors. The oil industry uses radioactive unsealed sources in solid, liquid and gaseous forms to
investigate or track the movement of other materials inside inaccessible pipes lines. Many of
these radiotracers can be detected and/or measured easily because of their gamma emissions.
The radioisotopes more used as radiotracers are
3
H,
82
Br,
131
I,
85
Kr,
41
Ar.
14
C,
24
Na,
192
Ir, etc.
This paper presents the application of radiotracers in the industry area and especially in the oil
and gas industry and performs a radiological evaluation in use of radiotracers. This evaluation
specifies the radiological risk, radiation doses, radiation protection and security procedures to
be followed, potential exposures involved and radiological accidents. It was observed that the
radiological risks in the use of radiotracers involve three aspects: external dose, external and
internal contamination. Most of the time the radiation risk related to external dose is too low,
because the radioactive unsealed sources have low activity and the exposure times are very
low during the handling. The external and internal contamination appear due to the use of
unsealed sources that allow direct contact and even inhalation and ingestion of radioactive
material. In order to minimize or avoid radiation risks, related to external dose, external and
internal contamination is essential that the radiation workers follow the radiation protection
procedures, national requirements and international recommendations. It was also identified
that there is not Brazilian specific regulation for radiation protection in radiotracers. Then, a
number of recommendations of the IAEA as well as some aspects of the US regulation are
shown to contribute for the elaboration of this specific regulation.