3.3 DISCUSSION OF AREA SOURCE AND POINT SOURCE

        The different treatment of area and point releases should be kept in mind when deciding which type of source release best fits a situation. The point source assumes an initial dispersion equal to the size of the release, whereby the area source only allows for the effect of a longer travel distance.

        The initial source dispersion will only significantly affect the exposures computed at distances very close to the release point (i.e., distances on the same order of magnitude as the dimensions of the release). For most cases, the initial source dispersion will not be a major factor in the determination of overall rankings.