TAB A - List of Acronyms/Glossary
This tab provides a listing of acronyms found in this report. Additionally, the Glossary section provides definitions for selected technical terms, which are not found in common usage.
Acronyms
| ACGIH................................................................................................
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACR..................................................................................................................................................... Armored Cavalry Regiment AD.......................................................................................................................................................................... Armor Division AED........................................................................................................................................... Aerodynamic Equivalent Diameter AEPI.................................................................................................................................. US Army Environmental Policy Institute AFRRI..................................................................................................................... Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute AHA...................................................... ...................................................................................................... Abrams Heavy Armor ALARA.................................................................................................................................... As Low As Reasonably Achievable AMC....................................................................................................................................................... Army Materiel Command AMCCOM............................................................................................................... Armament Munitions and Chemical Command ANG............................................................................................................................................................. Army National Guard ANSI.................................................................................................................................... American National Standards Institute AP........................................................................................................................................................................... Armor Piercing APFSDS................................................................................................................ Armor-Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot APFSDS-T.......................................................................................... Armor-Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Tracer API......................................................................................................................................................... Armor Piercing Incendiary ASTM................................................................................................................................. American Society for Testing Materials AT................................................................................................................................................................................... Anti-tank BDAT.......................................................................................................................................... Battle Damage Assessment Team BEIR.................................................................................................................................... Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation BFV........................................................................................................................................... Bradley Fighting Vehicle (tracked) BMP........................................................................................................................ Soviet made armored fighting vehicle (tracked) BTR..................................................................................................................... Soviet made armored personnel carrier (wheeled) CFR.....................................................................................................................................................Code of Federal Regulations CFV...........................................................................................................................................................Cavalry Fighting Vehicle CHPPM........................................................................................................ Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine CIWS................................................................................ Close-In Weapon System (20mm Air Defense Gun); also called Phalanx DoD............................................................................................................................................................ Department of Defense DU...................................................................................................................................................................... Depleted Uranium DULLRAM......................................................................................................Depleted Uranium/Low-Level Radioactive Materials EOD.................................................................................................................................................. Explosive Ordnance Disposal FASCAM............................................................................................................................................ Family of Scatterable Mines GAO...................................................................................................................................................... General Accounting Office HE........................................................................................................................................................................... High Explosive HEAT........................................................................................................................................................ High Explosive Antitank HEI......................................................................................................................................................... High Explosive Incendiary IARC......................................................................................................................... International Agency for Research on Cancer ICRP............................................................................................................... International Commission on Radiological Protection ID.......................................................................................................................................................................... Infantry Division IEEE.......................................................................................................................... Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IOC............................................................................................................................................... Industrial Operations Command JTCG/ME........................................................................................ Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness KE........................................................................................................................................................................... Kinetic Energy KKMC............................................................................................................................... King Khalid Military City, Saudi Arabia LAR........................................................................................................................................ Logistics Assistance Representatives MOPP..................................................................................................................................... Mission Oriented Protective Posture mrem.......................................................................................................................................... millirem (one thousandth of a rem) NAS.................................................................................................................................................. National Academy of Science NBC............................................................................................................................................ Nuclear, Biological and Chemical NCRP................................................................................................. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NJANG...................................................................................................................................... New Jersey Army National Guard NRC.............................................................................................................................................. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ODS/DS............................................................................................................................... Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm OSHA..................................................................................................................... Occupational Safety and Health Administration PEL....................................................................................................................................................... Permissible Exposure Limit PPE.................................................................................................................................................. Personal Protective Equipment RADCON........................................................................................................................................................... Radiation Control RADIAC......................................................................................................... Radiation Detection, Identification and Computation RHS........................................................................................................................................................ Rolled Homogenous Steel RPG....................................................................................................................................................... Rocket Propelled Grenade RPO..................................................................................................................................................... Radiation Protection Officer SWA...................................................................................................................................................................... Southwest Asia T-72................................................................................................................................................... Soviet-made main battle tank TB........................................................................................................................................................................ Technical Bulletin TLV�........................................................................................................................................................... Threshold Limit Value UXO............................................................................................................................................................ Unexploded Ordnance VA.................................................................................................................................................. Department of Veterans Affairs WA............................................................................................................................ 97.5% tungsten/2.5% binder in tungsten alloy mm................................................................................................................................................. micron (one millionth of a meter) |
Absorbed Dose:
The energy imparted by ionizing radiation per unit of mass irradiated material. The units of absorbed dose are the rad and gray (Gy).
Activity:
The number of nuclear transformations occurring in a given quantity of material per unit of time. (see Curie)
ALARA:
Acronym for "as low as reasonably achievable." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines ALARA as making every reasonable effort to maintain radiation exposures to as far below the dose limits as is practical considering the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to the benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic considerations, and in relation to utilization of nuclear energy and license materials in the public interest.
Alpha Particle (a ):
A charged particle emitted from the nucleus of an atom having a mass and charge equal in magnitude to a helium nucleus; i.e., two protons and two neutrons with a +2 charge.
Atom:
Smallest particle of an element, which is capable of entering into a chemical reaction.
Atomic Mass:
The mass of a neutral atom of a nuclide, usually expressed in terms of "atomic mass units." The "atomic mass unit" is one-twelfth the mass of one neutral atom of carbon-12; equivalent to 1.6604 X 10-24 gm. (Symbol: u).
Atomic Number:
The number of protons in the nucleus of a neutral atom of a nuclide.
Atomic Weight:
The weighted mean of the masses of the neutral atoms of an element expressed in atomic mass units.
Background Radiation:
Radiation arising from radioactive material other than the one directly under consideration. Background radiation due to cosmic rays and natural radioactivity is always present. There may also be background radiation due to the presence of radioactive substances in other parts of the building, in the building material itself, etc.
Beta Particle (b ):
A charged particle emitted from the nucleus of an atom with a mass and charge equal in magnitude to that of an electron.
Carcinogenic:
Capable of producing cancer.
Class:
Also referred to as Lung Class or Inhalation Class. This refers to a classification scheme for inhaled material according to its rate of clearance from the pulmonary region of the lungs. Materials are classified as D, W, or Y, which apply to a range of clearance half-times. Class D (Days) are cleared in less than 10 days. Class W (Weeks) are cleared between 10 and 100 days and Class Y (Years) are cleared in greater than 100 days. Recent recommendations in International Commission on Radiological Protection Report #66 have replaced classes D, W, and Y with F (fast), M (moderate), and S (slow).
Curie:
The special unit of activity. One curie is the amount of material in which 3.700 X 1010 atoms transform per second. (Abbreviated Ci.) Becquerel (Bq) is replacing it. One Bq is equal to 2.7 X 10-11 Ci (or 1.0 disintegrations per second). Several fractions of the curie are in common usage:
Millicurie:
One-thousandth of a curie (3.7 X107 disintegrations per second.). Abbreviated mCi.
Microcurie:
One-millionth of a curie (3.7 X 104 disintegrations per second.). Abbreviated m Ci.
Picocurie:
One millionth of a microcurie (3.7 X 10-2disintegrations per second or 2.2 disintegrations per minute). Abbreviated pCi.
Disintegration (Nuclear):
A spontaneous nuclear transformation (radioactivity) characterized by the emission of energy and/or mass from the nucleus. When numbers of nuclei are involved, the process is characterized by a definite half-life.
Dose:
A general term denoting the quantity of radiation or energy absorbed.
Dose Equivalent:
The product of the absorbed dose in tissue, quality factor, and all other necessary modifying factors at the location of interest. The units of dose equivalent are the rem and sievert.
Dosimeter:
Instrument to detect and measure accumulated radiation exposure. During the Gulf War, two types of dosimeters were used: a pencil-sized ionization chamber with a self-indicating electrometer and a wrist watch dosimeter, which requires a separate reader. The wrist watch dosimeter detects both gamma and neutron radiation and is intended to measure high doses, e.g., following tactical employment of nuclear weapons (rather than DU contamination) on the battlefield.
External Dose:
That portion of the dose received from radiation sources outside the body.
Gamma Ray (g ):
Short wavelength electromagnetic radiation of nuclear origin (range of energy from 10 keV to 9 MeV) emitted from the nucleus. A gamma ray is essentially equivalent to a x-ray. Both are photons of energy—the difference being that gamma rays originate in the nucleus of the atom and x-rays originate in the extranuclear part of the atom, but x-rays are typically of lower energy.
Gray (Gy):
Standard international unit of absorbed dose. One gray is equal to an absorbed dose of 1 joule/kilogram or 100 rads.
Half-life (Biological):
The time required for the body to eliminate one-half of an administered dosage of any substance by regular process of elimination. Approximately the same for both stable and radioactive isotopes of a particular element.
Half-life (Radioactive):
The time required for a radioactive substance to lose 50 percent of its activity by decay. Each radionuclide has a unique half-life.
Internal Dose:
That portion of the dose received from radioactive material taken into the body.
Isotope:
Atoms having the same number of protons in their nuclei, and hence the same atomic number and element, but differing in the number of neutrons, and therefore in the mass number. All isotopes of an element have identical chemical properties. The term should not be used as a synonym for nuclide.
Joule:
The unit of work, equal to one Newton expended along a distance of one meter (1J = 1N X 1m).
Kilo Electron Volt (keV):
One thousand electron volts or 103 volts.
Newton:
The unit of force, which when applied to a one kilogram mass will give it an acceleration of one meter per second per second (1N = 1kg X 1m/s2).
Nonstochastic Effect:
Health effect, the severity of which varies with the dose and for which a threshold is believed to exist. Radiation-induced cataract formation is an example of a nonstochastic effect. Also called a deterministic effect.
Occupational Dose:
The NRC defines occupational dose as the dose received by an individual in a restricted area or in the course of employment in which the individual’s assigned duties involve exposure to radiation and/or radioactive material from licensed and unlicensed sources of radiation. Occupational dose does not include dose received from background radiation, from any medical administration the individual has received, from voluntary participation in medical research programs, or as a member of the public.
Oxide:
A binary chemical compound in which oxygen is combined with a metal or nonmetal.
Public Dose:
The NRC defines public dose as the dose received by a member of the public from exposure to radiation and/or radioactive material released by a licensee, or to any other source of radiation under the control of the licensee. Public dose does not include occupational dose or doses received from background radiation, from any medical administration the individual received, or from voluntary participation in medical research programs.
Rad (radiation absorbed dose):
A unit of absorbed dose. One rad is 0.01 Joule absorbed per kilogram of any material. Also defined as 100 ergs per gram. It is being replaced by gray (Gy). One rad equals 0.01 of a gray.
RADIAC Equipment:
Radiation detection, identification and computation equipment, or equipment that measures radiation.
Radioactive/Radioactivity:
The property of the nuclei of certain atoms spontaneously emitting particles or gamma radiation or of emitting x radiation following orbital electron capture or of undergoing spontaneous fission. Atomic nuclei are of two types, stable and unstable. Unstable nuclei are said to be radioactive and eventually are transformed by radioactive decay into the stable nuclei. One or more of the three types of radioactive emissions (a or b particles or g -rays) occur during each stage of the decay.
Radioisotope:
Those isotopes of an element, which are radioactive.
Rem (roentgen equivalent man or mammal):
A unit of measure that takes into account the biologic effectiveness of various types of radiation. The rem is numerically equal to the rad multiplied by a Radiation Weighting Factor (formerly a "quality factor"). The Radiation Weighting Factor (RWF) reflects differences in the amount of each type of radiation necessary to produce the same biologic effect. For beta, gamma, and X radiation, RWF is 1.0, making their effect on tissue equivalent. The RWF for alpha particles is 20, indicating its biologic effect is 20 times greater that the effect of beta, gamma, or X radiation. Sievert (Sv) is replacing rem. One Sv is equal to 100 rem.
Roentgen:
The amount of ionization in air caused by X and gamma radiation. One roentgen of exposure will produce about 2 billion ion pairs per cubic centimeter of air. A roentgen is only a measure of the ionization that radiation produces in air. It does not provide exact information about the amount of energy that is actually absorbed by a medium, or about the effects of the radiation on the medium.
Sabot:
A lightweight carrier designed to center a projectile of a smaller caliber in the gun barrel. The sabot is normally employed to fire the smaller caliber projectile from a large caliber main gun; it usually is discarded a short distance from the muzzle.
Sievert (Sv):
Standard international unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in sieverts is equal to the absorbed dose in grays multiplied by the radiation weighting factor (1 Sv=100 rems).
Specific Activity:
The activity of the radionuclide per unit mass of that nuclei. See radioactive.
Solubility:
Capability of being dissolved. The amount of a substance that can be dissolved in a given solvent (i.e., lung fluid) under specified conditions.
Stochastic Effect:
Health effects that occur randomly and for which the probability of the effect occurring, rather than its severity, is assumed to be a linear function of dose without threshold. Hereditary effects and cancer incidence are examples of stochastic effects.
Tritium:
Isotope of hydrogen with one proton and two neutrons in the nucleus. Beta emitter.
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