RE: Dinged for storing radioiodine urine samples

["Broseus, Roger" <rbroseus@exchange.nih.gov>]

Vince:

I'd not be surprised that the scenario you mentioned could've happened: we 
had to get an amendment to our license for decay-in-storage and when we 
wanted to decay S-35 and I-125, had to amend again to extend the half-life 
of the things we were planning to store for decay.  As for the urine, it's 
a shame they did not take an aliquot and just dump the rest to the sewer as 
allowed for patient wastes.

-- Roger W. Broseus, CHP, Ph.D.
   Executive Secretary, Radiation Safety Committee, NIH
   Building 21, Room 233
   301-496-2253

----------
From: 	772EAR@delphi.com[SMTP:772EAR@delphi.com]
Sent: 	Tuesday, June 24, 1997 9:10 AM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	Dinged for storing radioiodine urine samples

Mike Bohan wrote:
>In that program, we even used to collect, assay and
>store all the urine for decay without significant thyroid uptakes.

Mike's comment jogged my memory concerning the storage of urine samples
without being licensed to do so.

I seem to remember someone telling me at an HPS meeting a few years ago
that a hosptial got dinged by the NRC for storing radioactive urine
samples.  Seems the hospital had a radioiodine spill and the RSO
collected urine samples from those involved to calculated internal dose.
When the NRC came in,  they gave the hospital a good report in dealing
the incident.  However,  they dinged the licensee for storing
the radioactive urine samples for decay without being licensed to do so.

Can anyone out there confirm this incident?  I would appreciate your
keeping the NRC bashing to a minimum as this is only a confirmatory
item not an action item  :)

Regards,
Vince Chase
772ear@delphi.com
Radiation Safety Officer
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not represent
the opinions policies or practices of Boehringer Ingelheim 
Pharmaceuticals.