Disposal of Medical Linac Targets

[alstonchris@netscape.net]

Does anyone care to offer opinions/experience to these folks?



Cheers

cja



>Date:    Thu, 14 Nov 2002 10:10:33 -0600

>From:    "William Kowalsky, Ph.D." <KowalsW@STFRAN.COM>

>Subject: Hot Targets

>

>Jayne Knoche <knochej@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

>

>>Our old Clinac 20 has been disassembled for parts storage.  The target &

>>scattering foils measure around 0.06 mrem/hr immediately adjacent.  (That's

>>the activation remaining several months after last use.)  This radioactivity

>>is enough that I can't ignore it, even though it's not a major problem.

>>

>>My immediate problem is deciding whether I can treat these objects as

>>sources with exempt quantities, or whether I have to label them, etc.  The

>>problem is that the regulations are written in terms of activity, but my

>>survey meter gives dose equivalent rate.  Without knowing the mix of

>>nuclides resulting from the activation, I don't know how to convert.

>

>If Jayne has a problem then it seems to me that all of us therapy physicists

>have a problem.  We (almost) all have high energy machines with hot targets.

>I for one do not keep any records of the radioactive sources in the bowels of

>my 1800 and 21EX.  Perhaps the fact that we produce the activity ourselves

>rather than purchasing it makes us exempt, just like homebrew software does

>not have to have FDA clearance.

>

>Bill K.





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