[ RadSafe ] Trying to Save Some of Your Tax Dollars

[Peter.Vernig at med.va.gov]

Group,

I sent a similar question about two weeks ago and have not received the
response Id' hoped for.  Please excuse asking the same question again but I
am trying to establish how a very common and IMO expensive and useless
practice got put into place, in order to avoid it in our new facility.

Somebody sent me a message in response to a comment I made about the use of
HEPA filtration in research isotope fume hoods and I feel it most likely was
a Radsafe member.  The message stated the origin of using HEPA filtration
for radioisope fume hoods.  It generally makes little sense because
generally we do not use dispersible solid radioactive materials in fume
hoods for research.  If one needed to do so, a filtered glove box would be a
more likely and safer arrangement.

The response I received, indicated some organization had stipulated the use
of HEPA filtration for isotope fume hoods in a model building code or best
practice of some kind.

If I could find that out I could maybe keep it from being done if I have any
input into the design of our new facility.  Whether I do have input is not
at all certain but it would waste a lot of money to install such systems for
all chemical fume hoods.

Please I am not interested in speculation, or suggestions about good fume
hood construction or use, or information on filtration of radioactive gases.
I am only interested in the origin of putting HEPA filtration into normal
research fume hoods that have no dispersible solids use.

Thanks in advance.

Any opinions in this e-mail are solely those of the author, and are not
represented as those of the VA Eastern Colorado HCS, the Dept. of Veterans
Affairs, or the US Government.

Peter G. Vernig, Radiation Safety Officer, MS-115, VA Eastern Colorado
Health Care System, 1055 Clermont St. Denver, CO 80220,
peter.vernig at med.va.gov, Phone= 303.399.8020 x2447; Fax = 303.393.5026,
alternate fax, 303.393.5248

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable, if anything is found to be excellent or praiseworthy, let your
mind dwell on these things."

Paul of Tarsus