[ RadSafe ] More radioactive debris turning up in garbage

[Jim Hardeman]

John *
 
What you have described is precisely what we are doing in Georgia. Once we have determined that we're dealing with a medical radionuclide (principally Tc-99m, I-131 or Th-201) we direct the landfill operators to dispose of the waste and cover it within a short period (1-2 hours). We get a little concerned, however, when we see Tc-99m, because due to the short half-life, we've found that the Tc-99m we see is coming directly from the medical facility (traps in IV tubes, etc.) instead of waste that has been "processed" through a patient ... thus it is technicallly NOT exempt. We've advised our medical facilities that if we continue to see this material at landfills, and if we can identify the source (not too difficult when you're dealing with a rolloff container in which all of the waste came from a single medical center!!!) then we will vigorously pursue enforcement action.
 
I concur with earlier commenters ... even if the disposal of short-lived medical radionuclides isn't a problem (and it isn't) the resource requirments to make that determination ARE a problem ... particularly with the advent of large, regional landfills in rural locations ... not very convenient to where WE'RE located.
 
My take on this ... with the medical radionuclides, we're dealing with materials that are "gone" (i.e. 10+ half lives) in say 3 months. If the landfill is operating in such a manner that somebody is drinking groundwater contaminated with leachate w/in 3 months, then you've got FAR bigger problems that just having a few millicuries of a short-lived radionuclide in the landfill.
 
My $0.02 worth ... 
 
Jim Hardeman, Manager
Environmental Radiation Program
Environmental Protection Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
4220 International Parkway, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30354
(404) 362-2675
Fax: (404) 362-2653
E-mail: Jim_Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us

>>> John Jacobus <crispy_bird at yahoo.com> 4/28/2005 11:58:20 >>>

That is the problem.  We have regulations that require
every actions to be taken when there are no real
risks.  Who do you know that eats trash.  Is the
transfer to ground water more hazardous than the other
stuff that is buried with it?  Why not let it decay in
the landfill as opposed to having it sit in the truck.


--- Marty.Bourquin at grace.com wrote:
> The issue really isnt whether or not the waste is
> exempted.  If it sets 
> off the montiors at the landfill it will not be
> accepted by the landfill 
> operator. Once that alarm goes off most facilities
> want nothing to do 
> with it.  They will typically just call in someone
> (regulator) to take 
> care of the problem - often by making the truck sit
> till it decays.
> 
> Education, Education Education
> 
> Marty Bourquin
> Manager EHS, RSO
> W.R. Grace
> Chattanooga, TN
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: crispy_bird at yahoo.com
> [mailto:crispy_bird at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 8:57 AM
> To: joseroze at netvision.net.il; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] More radioactive debris
> turning up in garbage
> 
> 
> Maybe the laws need to be changed so that patient
> waste is exempted.  See
>
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part020/part020-2003.html
> 
> 10 CFR 20.2003(b)Excreta from individuals undergoing
> medical diagnosis or therapy with radioactive
> material
> are not subject to the limitations contained in
> paragraph (a) of this section.
> 
> --- Jose Julio Rozental <joseroze at netvision.net.il>
> wrote:
> > 
> >
>
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050426/NEWS02/504260336/1018/NEWS02
> > More radioactive debris turning up in garbage
> > By ROB RYSER
> > THE JOURNAL NEWS
> >      
> > Original publication: April 26, 2005
> > Low levels of a radioactive substance used to
> treat
> > thyroid cancer, known as iodine-131, are tripping
> > alarms at garbage collection plants in Westchester
> > County about twice as often as they did last year,
> > officials said yesterday. 
> > 
> > There have been 11 cases in 2005, compared to 10
> > cases in all of 2004, according to County
> Executive
> > Andrew Spano, who is calling on physicians to
> leave
> > better instructions with patients about throwing
> out
> > personal-care products once they go home.
> > 
> >
>
......................................................
> >   
> > 
> > Jose Julio Rozental
> > joseroze at netvision.net.il
> > Israel
> > _______________________________________________
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> 
> +++++++++++++++++++
> "Embarrassed, obscure and feeble sentences are
> generally, if not always, 
> the result of embarrassed, obscure and feeble
> thought."
> Hugh Blair, 1783
> 
> -- John
> John Jacobus, MS
> Certified Health Physicist
> e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com
> 
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+++++++++++++++++++
"Embarrassed, obscure and feeble sentences are generally, if not always, the result of embarrassed, obscure and feeble thought."
Hugh Blair, 1783

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com

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