Workers Family Protection Act Info*

[jtowson@nucmed.rpa.cs.nsw.gov.au (Jocelyn Towson)]

I have to agree with the previous responder who said transfer of
radioactivity from worker to home is unlikely to be a significant hazard.
A possible model, with quantitative data, might be obtained from the
published surveys of family members of patients sent home after I-131
therapy with substantial quantities of radioactivity on board (compared to
occupational body burdens).  Although this is not a strict parallel with
say contaminated clothing, a small percentage of iodine is secreted in
sweat and saliva.

For example Wasserman (Nucl Med Commun 14:756-760 (1995)) quotes an average
transfer to family members of 1.26 +/- 1.1 Bq per MBq administered to the
patient, from a study by Buchan et al, Br J Radiol, 43:479-482 (1970).
Similar surveys are Ibis et al, J Nucl Med 33:2110-2115 (1992), Nishizawa
et al, Hlth Phys 38:467-481 (1980).

Jocelyn Towson
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Sydney
jtowson@nucmed.rpa.cs.nsw.gov.au