[ RadSafe ] Cardiolite Fate

Wed May 19 09:56:30 CDT 2010

That kind of casual contamination would only be a problem for I-131.
Tc-99m and Tl-201 are eliminated trough urine, not spit, sweat, etc. like
I-131.  So contamination is almost impossible for most people, draw your own
conclusions ;)   She will get a little dose being nearby you but at a rate
of a couple mR per hr, I wouldn't worry too much, you will be decaying down
fast all the time.

Bill DeForest, CHP, DABR
President, ProPhysics Innovations, Inc.
billd at prophysics.com 
400 Dominion Drive, #109 Morrisville, NC 27560 
(800) 835-3615 
(919) 465-2545 
Fax: (919) 465-2544

www.prophysics.com

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Glenn R. Marshall
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 8:28 AM
To: Dan W McCarn; radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Cardiolite Fate

Several years ago in a prior job we had a worker set off the alarm on the
PCM at our facility, showing facial contamination.  He swore that he hadn't
been in any production areas but merely walked through the building and had
to monitor on the way out.  After a lengthy discussion, he remembered his
wife had some medical procedure done earlier that day and the doctor told
them not to have any contact for a few days.  But he kissed his wife on his
way out the door as always.  So we had him spit in a beaker and ran a gamma
spec.  I-131.  He had to work in the office until he cleared the monitors.
The poor guy was nicknamed Hotlips ever since.  Quite embarrassing, although
it could have been much more so if you know what I mean....

So the moral of the story is this:
If your significant other can take a joke, get radioactive and fool around.
Then send her to work in a radiological facility.

Glenn Marshall, CHP, RRPT

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Dan W McCarn
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 6:19 PM
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Cardiolite Fate

Dear Group:

Yesterday I received both Tl-201 & Tc-99m as a intravenous cocktail during a
cardiac stress test.  The dose was 3 mCi Tl-201 and 20 mCi "Cardiolite"
Tc-99m for imaging.  By the time I got home, I was quite radioactive, with
my Ludlum Model 19 measuring 5000 uR/Hr at a distance of 4 meters.
According to the information that I received, the test amounts to a 3.45 REM
total effective dose.

Should I be avoiding my girlfriend for the next week or two?  She works at
Los Alamos and I don't want to "contaminate" her.

The good news is that no problems were found!

Comments?

Dan ii

--
Dan W McCarn, Geologist
108 Sherwood Drive
Los Alamos, NM 87544-3425
+1-505-310-3922 (Mobile - New Mexico)
 <mailto:HotGreenChile at gmail.com>  <mailto:HotGreenChile at gmail.com>
HotGreenChile at gmail.com (Private email) HotGreenChile at gmail dot com

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