Abstract
A renewed interest in leak testing of sealed radium sources grew out of the 1959 amendment to the Atomic Energy Act. As more and more states assumed regulatory responsibility from the Atomic Energy Commission, the radium situation was brought into focus for the first time, as it, too, was licensed. Although the problem is much improved in these states, a lack of uniformity as to what constitutes a leaking source and the best method for detecting it still exists. Eight procedures for leak testing of sealed sources of radium were compared. They are: (1) charcoal, (2) cotton plug, (3) jar, (4) radon film badge, (5) radon scintillation probe, (6) electro-deposition, (7) wipe test, and (8) direct read-out. Sensitivity, reproducibility, and time requirements are discussed. The results are tabulated for easy comparison.