Radioactive Spills

Key Facts

• Medical needs attended first
• Spill procedure depends on many variables: Number of individuals affected, likelihood of contamination spread, types and surfaces contaminated, and radiation hazard of spilled material
• Notify all persons in area that spill has occurred
• Notify RSO immediately if major spill has occurred
• Prevent spread of contamination by isolating area and covering spill, if appropriate, with absorbent paper
• If minor spill, wear gloves, disposable lab coat, and booties; clean up spill with absorbent paper
• Survey area or contaminated individual with appropriate radiation survey instrument and check for removable contamination
• Check hands and clothing for self-contamination
• Decay any radioactive trash resulting from spill clean-up procedure for 10 half-lives or when activity reaches background

• Threshold of 1, 10, or 100 mCi (37, 370 MBq, or 3.7 GBq) used to determine minor vs. major spill
• 1 mCi (37 MBq) threshold: P-32, Sr-89, I-125, and I-131
• 10 mCi (370 MBq): Co-57, Ga-67, In-111, I-123, Sm-153
• 100 mCi (3.7 GBq): Tc-99m, Tl-201

Xe-133 trap is shown. These machines are used to trap the exhaled Xe-133 used for lung scintigraphy. For various reasons, the Xe-133 may leak out of this machine.
An evacuation time is calculated for any room using radioactive gas. In this example, an evacuation time of 30 min is needed to clear this particular room of radioactive gas. The evacuation time is calculated from the room volume and total room air exhaust rate.
A radioactive spill is shown. If this is a minor spill, once medical needs are met, the spill should be contained and then cleaned up.
Radioactive spill clean-up is shown. However, the technologist is not using proper protocol as he is not wearing gloves in this picture. During a minor spill, the technologist must wear gloves, a disposable lab coat, and booties, and clean up the spill with absorbent paper.

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May 7, 2023 | Posted by admin in CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING | Comments Off