Re: "Hot" Medical Waste in CA

[ad198@yfn.ysu.edu (Carl Landis)]

In this area, the local landfill, which accepts trash from several
states, has the dual Bicron NaI detectors located at the gate
where the trucks must check in.  They have their alarm set to
go off for anything above background, which they will not accept.
This is that company's policy not any sort of governmental
regulation.  Our institution has been out to the landfill twice
in the last 5 years.  The other large hospital in town has also
had to go out there.  Both times we went out, we found the culprit
to be some trash from an I-131 patient that had escaped from us.  
(Not the patient-the trash.)  One of the employees at the landfill
told me that a truck driver set off the alarm.  He had had a nuclear
medicine procedure recently.  Now the drivers from the landfill 
who come to pickup our dumpsters are equipped with crystal
detectors.  One wonders how much training they are given on the
intelligent use of one of these.  They have the kind that will
read in the 20 microrem range and are instructed that if they
get any reading at all to not pick up the load.

I wonder how diligent they would be if they had "toxic chemical"
detectors that were similarly as sensitive.  One could envision
a scenario..... "Sorry, we can't accept that load, some homeowner
threw out a can of bug spray (or paint thinner, botulism-infected
lunchmeat, Twinkie,... take your pick).

Sorry, I too may be getting cynical as I get older.

Carl

--
Carl Landis                        ad198@yfn.ysu.edu
Medical Physics Dept.              216-740-4409
Southside Medical Ctr.             FAX:  216-740-6581
Youngstown, OH  44501-0990         "My opinions only!"