Hello,

I serve as the RPO for our industrial lab (non-medical) where we have an XRF and an XRD. For me, maintaining ALARA is simple. We operate our units as closed-beam instruments. We keep the instruments isolated in a limited-access, locked room. We monitor using rings and area monitoring badges. (We don't need to since we use closed-beam systems, but we do because we want our team members to understand our levels of exposure beyond the theoretical.)

Even if the NRC drops the ALARA standard, I see no reason to change. Our systems are in place and are simple ones. Additionally, our lab is registered and certified via inspections by our state agency, the Ohio Department of Health. They, too, would need to drop the ALARA standard. Even if they do as well, we will not change. It is in our team members' best interests to use ALARA principles! I want them to go home as healthy as they came and for the long-term!