What is a survey meter used for?

A survey meter is a portable handheld, electronic instrument used to detect radiation. It is recommended that a “pancake” type Geiger Mueller (GM) probe be used for isotopes which emit beta radiation and an energy compensated GM probe be used for gamma emitting isotopes with energies greater than 60keV.

How does survey meter work?

Survey instruments locate contamination or detect radioactive material. Radioactive material detected in the attached probe causes electronic pulses that move the meter needle and make an audio response. The meters read out in counts per minute (cpm) and can be calibrated to report mR/hr.

Which type of meter is best for detecting high energy β?

G-M Survey Meter: Use a Geiger-Muller (G-M) survey meter to survey for P-32 (a high energy beta emitter), and other high energy beta and gamma emitters, such as Co-60, Zn-65, Cs-137, and U-238. A G-M meter can also be used to identify areas heavily contaminated with moderate energy betas, such as C-14 or S-35.

What is GM survey meter?

The GM survey meter is the most common device used for the detection of radioactive contamination. You might hear this meter referred to as a “pancake” or “GM pancake” because of the look of the device.

When to use a NaI scintillation survey meter?

NaI Scintillation Survey Meter: Use a portable thin crystal NaI scintillation survey meter to survey for I-125 contamination and to conduct surveys around low-energy x-ray sources such as x-ray diffractometers and electron microscopes.

What are survey meters and what are they used for?

Survey meters are portable radiation detection and measurement instruments used to check personnel, equipment, and facilities for radioactive contamination, or check external or ambient ionizing radiation fields to evaluate the direct exposure hazard. They are synonymous with scintillation counters and Geiger counters.

When to use a G-M survey meter?

G-M Survey Meter: Use a Geiger-Muller (G-M) survey meter to survey for P-32 (a high energy beta emitter), and other high energy beta and gamma emitters, such as Co-60, Zn-65, Cs-137, and U-238. A G-M meter can also be used to identify areas heavily contaminated with moderate energy betas, such as C-14 or S-35.

How is a Meter survey used to detect contamination?

Meter surveys, using Geiger detectors or scintillation probes, can identify gross contamination (total contamination consisting of both fixed and removable contamination) but will detect only certain radioisotopes.