Guidance Info
Radioactive Materials
Before working with radioactive material
Develop a detailed plan and practice with a dry run to rehearse the experiment. With planning you will improve dexterity and speed and minimize the potential for a spill, decrease the time you spend working with radioactive materials, and improve shielding.
Arrange your workplace and minimize the amount of unnecessary equipment. This lessens the possibility of spills and/or contaminating a bench with radioactive materials.
Working with radioactive material
- Wear personal protection equipment, such as gloves, a laboratory coat, and safety glasses. Do not wear open-toed shoes in the laboratory. Wear whole-body dosimeters (e.g. Luxel dosimeter) when handling ANY radioactive material and extremity dosimeters (e.g. finger ring), if one is provided by EH&S.
- Use an appropriate survey meter and probe while working with radioactive materials. Monitor work surfaces and gloves regularly to maintain control over contamination and exposure.
- Use remote handling devices (forceps or tongs) to handle stock vials, sources, or potentially contaminated items.
- Use potentially volatile chemicals/radionuclides in designated fume hoods.
Place absorbent paper (plastic-backed) or a spill tray (shown at right) on the section of the bench that will be used for work with radioactive material. Label the work area, containers and equipment used with radioactivity with "caution radioactive material" tape.
- Use shielding appropriate for the radionuclide. An effective shield should provide protection in all directions. Place the radioactive material close to the shield to maximize the "shadow area" (area where radiation is blocked out by the shield) cast by the shield.
The "shadow" represents the area protected by the shield. Anything outside this area is unshielded from the radioactive material.
Moving the material back from the shield shrinks the shielded area (the shadow) and thus decreases shielding effectiveness.
- Other considerations:
The absorption of high energy beta radiation (e.g. 32P) in high atomic number materials such as lead may result in the production of secondary radiation (Br�msstrahlung) which is more penetrating than the beta radiation that produced it. Therefore, use light weight materials such a plastics (e.g. Lucite, Plexiglas) and glass. - Survey to ensure proper shield placement.
- Pay special attention to shielding in work areas and frequent travel routes.
After working with radioactive materials:
- Store high-energy beta emitters (e.g. 32P) and gamma emitters behind appropriate shielding.
Return the radioactive material to a lock box, or locked refrigerator. This minimizes exposure time and serves to secure the radioactive material against unauthorized removal. - Survey gloves and dispose of as radioactive waste if contaminated.
- Segregate, package in appropriate waste containers, and tag all radioactive waste items.
- Check the work area and adjoining areas for contamination with a survey meter. Perform a personal survey to check for contamination (hands, hair, eyeglasses, clothing, etc.). Decontaminate all points of contamination. Click here for what to do in case of a radioactive spill.
- For 3H or 14C, wipe-test the work and adjoining areas for removable contamination. Areas of concern would be such things as equipment handles doorknobs, telephones, sinks, floor areas, and other points of frequent contact.
Clean all the glassware and equipment used, in an authorized radioactive material disposal sink. - Record the amount disposed, either directly or while washing, down the radioactive sink, on the sink disposal log.
- Maintain records of use and disposal.
Email radiation_protection at harvard dot edu to send comments and suggestions to the Radiation Protection Office
