NRRPT Emergency Response and Decontamination 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency has primary responsibility for coordinating federal radiological emergency response under the National Response Framework?
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA coordinates overall federal emergency response under the NRF, with NRC and DOE providing technical radiological support.
Question 2: When performing whole-body counting on a potentially internally contaminated individual, the purpose is to:
- Measure external dose received during the emergency
- Detect and quantify gamma-emitting radionuclides in the body (Correct answer)
- Screen for surface contamination remaining after decontamination
- Determine lung burden of inhaled alpha-emitting particles
Correct answer: Detect and quantify gamma-emitting radionuclides in the body
Whole-body counters detect gamma radiation emitted from internally deposited radionuclides to estimate internal contamination levels.
Question 3: The 'ingestion exposure pathway' EPZ around nuclear power plants extends to approximately what distance?
- 2 miles
- 10 miles
- 50 miles (Correct answer)
- 100 miles
Correct answer: 50 miles
The ingestion pathway EPZ extends to approximately 50 miles to address contamination of food, water, and agricultural products.
Question 4: During mass decontamination of ambulatory victims, which body areas should receive priority attention due to highest contamination retention?
- Forearms and shins due to exposure surface area
- Hair, face, hands, and skin folds where contamination accumulates (Correct answer)
- Back and buttocks due to postural exposure
- Chest and abdomen as the largest surface area
Correct answer: Hair, face, hands, and skin folds where contamination accumulates
Hair, facial features, and skin folds retain contamination most effectively and pose the highest risk of internal uptake if not prioritized.
Question 5: A worker's bioassay results show 10 times the ALI of Cs-137 in the body. The immediate health physics action is to:
- Administer Prussian Blue to enhance Cs-137 excretion and remove the worker from further exposure (Correct answer)
- Increase the worker's monitoring frequency only
- Administer DTPA to chelate the cesium
- Place the worker on administrative leave pending investigation only
Correct answer: Administer Prussian Blue to enhance Cs-137 excretion and remove the worker from further exposure
Prussian Blue is the FDA-approved treatment to accelerate Cs-137 elimination by trapping it in the gut; the worker must also be removed from further exposure.
Question 6: What is the primary reason that emergency responders should approach an unknown radiological accident scene from upwind and uphill?
- To maximize distance from the radiation source
- To avoid inhalation of airborne contamination and prevent contaminated runoff exposure (Correct answer)
- To improve communication with incident command
- To maintain line-of-sight with the exclusion zone perimeter
Correct answer: To avoid inhalation of airborne contamination and prevent contaminated runoff exposure
Upwind approach prevents inhalation of airborne radioactive particles, and uphill positioning avoids contact with potentially contaminated water runoff.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the radiological hazard from an aircraft accident transporting radioactive material under UN special form classification?
- High dispersal hazard due to brittle matrix construction
- Reduced dispersal hazard because special form sources are encapsulated to withstand accident conditions (Correct answer)
- Criticality hazard from fissile material concentration
- No radiation hazard because aircraft quantities are below regulatory limits
Correct answer: Reduced dispersal hazard because special form sources are encapsulated to withstand accident conditions
Special form radioactive material is encapsulated or solid metal, designed to remain intact and non-dispersible under severe accident conditions.
NRRPT Emergency Response and Decontamination 5
Which federal agency has primary responsibility for coordinating federal radiological emergency response under the National Response Framework?