Re: Professional Opinions Wanted

["Dr. Marvin Goldman" <mgoldman@ucdavis.edu>]

I agree with the seriousness of the problem; especially having worked with
high levels of Y-90 decades ago.  In addition to the comments made, there
is a serious and very significant low energy gamma-ray dose from the
bremsstrahlung radiation.  Added to the energetic beta dose, this is more
than just an extremity exposure problem. I can't believe that there was no
dosimeter coverage or protocol!.
Marvin GoldmanAt 09:59 AM 3/5/98 -0600, you wrote:
mgoldman@ucdavis.edu.
>1.  Yes
>
>2.  Reportable or not, I'd report it.  (I am fortunate to
>be in Illinois which is an agreement state.  They do not
>beat us up for consulting with them.)
>
>3.  Beta dose rates from that quantity of Y-90 would be extremely
>high.  The latex gloves would not provide much protection.  A spill
>like you describe should be handled by leaving the immediate area.
>Surveying and if necessary decontaminating oneself.  Getting
>assistance to _PLAN_ the clean up, including trying to estimate
>potential extremity doses from the plan.
>
>One reference I have lists the unshielded beta dose rate from
>P-32 which is slightly lower energy than Y-90, as 14 R per hour
>per mCi at 2", and 127 mR at 50 cm per mCi.  If you are really
>talking about Curie quantities, then the minimum extremity
>exposure rate must have been hundreds of rad/hour.
>
>I'd be pretty upset if such an incident occured.  I would
>also have insisted on a written emergency plan for such a protocol.
>Then if the plan wasn't followed the people involved would not
>have any wriggle room.
>
>Also. no one should be allowed to work with that quantity of beta
>emitter without ring badges.  We have seen individuals working
>with 200 - 300 mCi of F-18 come up with more than a rad in one
>month on a ring badge.  Their technique had them handling the
>stuff for only a few minutes per synthesis, and no more than 8-10
>synthesese per month.
>
>Dale
>
>