Re[2]: Uranyl Nitrate, etc.

[coogen_michael@hq2ccgw.hq.dla.mil]

Life has its ways of rewarding those whos are deserving.


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Uranyl Nitrate, etc.
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at hq2ccgw
Date:    7/27/95 6:04 PM




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