[ RadSafe ] Radioactive Waste Rooms

[Anthony Santoro]

Hello,

 

I was hoping I could get some feedback on how radioactive waste rooms are
designed at other institutions.  Specifically, I am inquiring about
ventilation and filtration.  We will be building a new radioactive waste
room in the near future and are debating whether it is necessary to carbon
filter exhaust from the radioactive waste room.  We work with biomedical
research isotopes, such as 3H, 32P, 33P, 35S, and 125I, usually less than
1mCi.  In our old waste room the compactor, fume-hood and all other exhausts
ran through a bank of nuclear grade carbon filters.  This set-up is very
pricey and based on the analysis of the wasted filters, there is no
measurable radioactivity captured.  The thinking is that since the amounts
released are so insignificant, that venting directly to the outside without
filtration, will accomplish the same results through dilution.   The NYS DEC
has regulations in place on permissible effluent concentrations and I
believe that we are well within the limits but would have to perform some
sampling to model and prove my assumption.    Any comments would be greatly
appreciated.  

 

Thank you,

 

Anthony Santoro

Radiation Safety Officer

Laboratory Safety & Environmental Health

The Rockefeller University 

1230 York Avenue

New York, NY 10065

Ph: 212.327.8226