Re: Uranyl Nitrate, etc.

[Karin Gordon <kgordon@cc.UManitoba.CA>]

Hi Radsafers,

Thought I'd pass along this anecdote. Our hospital's hematopathology lab
was looking for some dedicated lab space for new DNA work involving P-32.
The Electron Microscopy (EM) suite, 3 floors down, had a beautiful unused
laboratory bay which was ideal for this purpose.  With the blessing of
senior administration, we approved a radioisotope permit for this
"satellite" lab operation (operators to be 2 trained radioisotope workers
from the hemopath lab).  Several of the staff members in the EM went 
ballistic at the news, because this DANGEROUS radioactive material was 
being imposed on them and would put them at horrendous risk!  The loudest 
complainer was 50 pounds overweight and smoked at least a pack a day! 
They filed a grievance with their union and fear-mongered so much that 
hundreds of other lab techs in other areas of the building were all of a 
sudden concerned as well.  What a mess.  I had to run multi-inservices to 
educate all these people, and we put TLD badges s on the EM suite 
personnel to monitor their non-resistant doses.  we had to use a lot of 
persuasion to convince these folks that the hazard was minimal, and 
finally got the lab set up and running.

 About 3 months later, one of the radioisotope workers was running a GM
pancake probe around the work area to check for contamination, and then
walked by a sink outside of the radioisotope work bay.  The detector
started screaming, and sure enough the sink was "hotter than Hades".  The
radioisotope workers had never used or even touched that sink.  Now
the EM people were VERY upset, and the poor persecuted radioisotope 
workers were beside themselves trying to figure this one out.  I went up 
to the lab and asked the EM suite staff what kind of chemicals they used 
around that sink, and had them pull out of the chemical bottles and line 
them up on the counter.  Sure enough, they were using uranyl nitrate, and 
had been routinely pouring  some down the sink drain for years!  They 
were astonished that this stuff contained radioactivity, and started 
handling it with more respect.  

The radioisotope workers considered filing a grievance about the EM staff 
contaminating the lab environment, but I persuaded them to drop it!  Both 
groups seem to be co-existing relatively happily now, although the EM 
staff still blush and the radioisotope workers stifle snickers when we 
recall the incident.  

Karin Gordon
Health Sciences Centre
PW-160, 820 Sherbrook St.
Winnipeg, MB Canada R3A 1R9
voice	(204) 787-2903
fax	(204) 787-1313
e-mail	kgordon@cc.umanitoba.ca