Re: Improper Use of Radioactive Material & Security

[denison.8@osu.edu]

On Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:16:44 -0600 (CST), Richard Mack wrote:
>
>My point is that anyone who has not served in the capacity as an RSO at a
>large research institution really doesn't have a thorough understanding of
>the issues regarding the relative hazards in research laboratories,
>security, intentional misuse, etc.

After four years as an Army Medical Lab Tech, a B.S. in biochemistry, 2.5
years inspecting university medical research labs for compliance with Rad
Safety regs and 1.5 years working toward an M.S. in Nuclear
Engineering/Health Physics, I have to agree with Richard on this one (with
the exception that _working for_ the RSO is often enough).

Radioactive materials of the types and quantities used in most labs (at
least around here) are a piddling small hazard compared to the other stuff
some of these folks handle.  I'd rather munch down a couple of mCi of P-32
or I-125 than inhale/ingest a comparable mass of raw urea or acrylamide
powder, both of which are common components of electrophoresis gels and are
listed as "progressive" neurotoxins.  The list of toxic organic solvents is
as long as your arm, and some of the labs are culturing and studying HIV,
hepatitis, TB, virulent E. coli strains and other nasty bugs.  Of course,
all of these things are safely handled on a routine basis by trained staff.
I've personally worked with (or treated patients infected with) each of
the things mentioned above, with no adverse effects (Vincent, keep your
comments to yourself <g>).

The point is that the general public, miseducated by the news media (and in
some cases by the over-reaction of regulatory bodies), thinks that RAM is
the scariest stuff around, even if it's research-lab quantities.  IMO, the
targets of these few isolated "attacks" got lucky.  They could have been
tagged with something lethal or permanently disabling.  And yes, I consider
these as isolated incidents, and not an "epidemic of RAM poisonings."
Compared to the total number of workplace harassments, assaults and
killings in this country every year, the RAM incidents are hardly a bump in
a mountain range.


J. Eric Denison
Nuclear Engineering Program
The Ohio State University
2030 Robinson Laboratory
206 West 18th Avenue
Columbus OH 43210
(614) 292-3681 or -1074
denison.8@osu.edu


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