Re: Hospital I-131 waste and NRC regulations

[stephane_jeanfrancois@Merck.Com (Stephane Jeanfrancois)]

One very good procedure is to set up a "quarantine" area where detected
radioactive material can sit for 24 hours. If the "signal has decreased
significantly over that period, don't even bother about it and process
it. The idea of these gigantic portal monitor is for "gauges or other
industrial source" detection. We find out that for each single real
alert, there is about one thousand or more NORM or nuclear medicine. At
least it makes us think twice about our waste management !


Stephane Jean-Francois Phys. Eng.
RSO
Meck Frosst Canada
stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com
 ----------
From: BLHamrick@aol.com
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: Hospital I-131 waste and NRC regulations
Date:  April 7, 1997 19:16

In a message dated 97-04-03 16:15:18 EST, Stephen McGuire wrote:

<< However, if radioactive material is contained in the body of a
patient who
is
 released under the provisions of Section 35.75, which governs patient
release, the
 radioactive material is no longer licensed or under the responsibility
of
the
 licensee.  Thus, diapers from the home of  a released patient may be
disposed of as
 ordinary trash.
  >>

Unfortunately, because many, if not all, landfills now have radiation
detection devices to screen waste coming into their facility, this means
local authorities end up spending hours digging through piles of
residential
or nursing home waste at these landfills only to find  I-131 (or even
Tc-99m)
contaminated diapers, which have set off the alarm.  This results in a
lot of
wasted man-hours, and it seems the solid waste people and the radiation
protection folks need to come to some kind of agreement in this regard.
 Suggestions?

Barbara L. Hamrick
Los Angeles County - Radiation Management
BLHamrick@aol.com