[ RadSafe ] radioactivity in garbage

Mon Feb 28 00:17:09 CST 2011

Mr. Okkalides,

    I am unfamiliar with the laws of Greece and as a result unqualified to give 
you a specific legal answer.  I can tell you though from experience that if your 
local landfill has a landfill radiation detector, usually mounted either at the 
gate or by their truck scale, that they will probable reject anything 
detectable.  Keep in mind that while their detectors may be fairly sensitive 
that they are usually located at least a meter away from the large moving trucks 
hauling the thick steel dumpsters, so whatever radioactive material is in the 
dumpster would have to be fairly "hot" to be detected at a meter from the 
exterior of the steel  dumpster .  Detectable, in my experience, is usually 
anything above twice background, and it's unlikely that you can prevail in an 
argument with the folks at the landfill about why they should take your load if 
in your opinion the radiation while detectable is actually under that statutory 
limit.  Rejection of a garbage load is a problem for both the garbage company 
and for your hospital.  The garbage company needs to quickly turn around their 
truck so they will most likely want to dump the load as soon as possible, and if 
your lucky they will dump it somewhere away from the mountain of other garbage, 
and then immediately call you (usually right after they have called your 
regulators).  If your very unlucky they could bring the load back to your campus 
and dump the load on your campus.  Either way your going to be stuck searching 
for the radioactive material in the dumped garbage.  This isn't an experience 
that one would want to regularly repeat!

   The best way to deal with this problem is to avoid having radioactive 
material go into your garbage dumpster in the first place.  Purchase your own 
radiation detectors and mount them near your garbage containers.  Train your 
staff that if the detectors go off that they are supposed to set the material 
aside and contact you or your staff.  That will afford you an opportunity to 
find the material before it ends up in the dumpster, avoid dealing with the 
folks at the landfill, and having to deal with your regulators when this issue 
is reported to them by the folks at the landfill.  All in all, your purchase of 
your own detectors will be a net savings to your hospital.  see page 37 of the 
following web page (it's a large catalog so it may take a while for the down 
load):
http://www.ludlums.com/images/stories/catalogs/Health%20Physics%20Catalog-Web.pdf

 Roy Herren 

________________________________
From: Demetrios Okkalides <od at tlmq.com>
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList 
<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Sat, February 26, 2011 6:52:18 AM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] radioactivity in garbage

I am looking for a quote of the maximum exposure rate (not activity) that 
hospital (or any) garbage can have on  its packaging surface in order to be 
permitted to be dumped in communal garbage sites. Can anyone help? I would 
appreciate a reference also.

thanks

D.Okkalides
THEAGENEION Anticancer Hospital
Thessaloniki
Greece

----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Steinmann" <crsteinmann at gmail.com>
To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List" 
<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Cc: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List" 
<radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2011 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] body dose

Otto,

Is 4100 mrem per 3 months of smoking a fact?  How many cigarettes does
one have to smoke in 3 months?  If you have a source, I would be
interested in the citation.

Thanks

Chris

On Sat, Feb 26, 2011 at 1:59 AM, Otto G. Raabe <ograabe at ucdavis.edu> wrote:
> At 08:28 PM 2/24/2011, Mark S. Sasser wrote:
> 
>> Routine bio assay Measurement Results
>> the results of the subject individual's routine urine measurement in 1987
>> are
>> consistent with those expectedfrom the previously evaluated intakes that
>> occured
>> in 1964 ,1966,1967.
>> in 1986 he was still showing 4100mrem(27% of the standard ). to his lung.
>> 
>> my father now 84 years old and we do not know what we should do about what
>> is in
>> his lungs?
> 
> ***********************
> Consider these facts:
> 
> 4100 mrem is the dose of alpha radiation that just about everyone living in
> Colorado gets every year from natural radon decay products in homes.
> 
> 4100 mrem is the dose of alpha radiation that a cigarette smoker gets in
> three months from polonium-210.
> 
> Neither of these exposures is likely to result in detrimental effects.
> People in Colorado have lower lung cancer rates than in most other States.
> 
> Most people don't make it to 84 years of age.
> 
> Otto
> 
> 
> **********************************************
> Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
> Center for Health & the Environment
> University of California
> One Shields Avenue
> Davis, CA 95616
> E-Mail: ograabe at ucdavis.edu
> Phone: (530) 752-7754 FAX: (530) 758-6140
> ***********************************************
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