[ RadSafe ] Disposal via Decay in Storage

[ROY HERREN]

   A few hundred counts on the floor or work bench is a big deal to the NRC, but God forbid that they should ever go do a survey in the patients restroom.  The kidneys and the bladder do a great job of filtering out foreign material such as Tc-99M.  If the average bone scan Tc-99m patient is dosed with 25 mCi how much goes down the drain in the first hour while the patient is awaiting uptake prior to imaging?  Simple answer...a lot.  I have personally seen an incontinence pad set off a land fill monitor at over 25 feet away.
 
  Safe to say, Nuc Med is a world away from the Health Physics of Nuclear Power.
 
Roy Herren
"McMahan, Kimberly L." <mcmahankl at ornl.gov> wrote: 
Not to be too contrary, but we DO have people walking around "hot." I
suppose it's that age-old difference between the medical definition of
"hot" and everyone else's. =]

Kim McMAHAN 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
External Dosimetry 865.576.1566


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Baratta, Edmond J
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 10:44 AM
To: 'Cary Renquist'; RADSAFE List
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Disposal via Decay in Storage


Technetium-99m has a six (6) hour half-life. After sixty (60) hours it
should have decayed away. This is radiopharmaceutical that is commonly
used. That's why it is popular, otherwise we would have people walking
around who are 'hot'.

Edmond J. Baratta
Radiation Safety Officer
Tel. No. 781-729-5700, ext 728
FAX: 781-729-3593

This is my opinion and not those of my Agency. 


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf
Of Cary Renquist
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 6:02 PM
To: RADSAFE List
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Disposal via Decay in Storage

Quick question:

Is Tc-99m a candidate for disposal via
decay-in-storage?

If so, what would be a acceptable method for
monitoring the decayed material prior to release?

Thanks for any info.
Cary

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Roy Herren
		
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