Radiation Safety at Tufts

Helpful Hints for Radioisotope Users

Personal Protective Equipment

Be sure your lab coat is long enough;close/button it completely whenever in the lab;do not roll up sleeves exposing bare skin. Lab coats gathered or with elastic at the wrist arepreferred to ones that hang away from the wrist.Double gloving is recommended to preventskin contamination if one glove has a hole or tears.Avoid open-toed shoes, shorts and skirtswhen working with radioactive materials.

Eye Protection and handling RAM

Wear safety goggles anytime there is a

splash hazard. This includes when pouring

liquid radioactive waste, handling

concentrated solutions, and vortexing samples.

Know where the nearest eyewash is located

and how to use it.

Using stock vials of radioactive material [RAM]

Thaw completely before attempting to take an

aliquot from a stock vial. Incomplete thawing

may result in a frozen portion of concentrated

radioisotope escaping from the vial. Such ice

can slide across counters and floors leaving

large areas contaminated.

Tube selection in the lab

When using radioactive material, screw top

tubes are better than flip top tubes. The more

secure the closure of the tube, the less likely

it is to pop open, ex. during centrifugation or

when heating the contents.

Securely closed tubes prevent spills.

Using incubators with RAM

Whenever possible, place flasks containing

RAM cultures or solutions in secondary

containers to prevent spills and contamination

of the incubator. Use the lowest shelf available in the

incubator so that you are not reaching for containers

that are over your head. Straining to reach a

container can lead to a spill.

Incubators continued

Open dishes or flasks containing radioisotope,especially some chemical forms of S-35 [ex. Methionine],can result in the water within the incubator becomingcontaminated. Be careful opening the inner incubatordoor to avoid contact with condensation droplets.Place absorbent paper on the counter in front of theincubator to catch any contamination. Place the incubator as far back on the bench top asfeasible. Be sure to survey in front of incubators tocheck for radioactive contamination.

Spin Columns and RAM

Used spin columns can pose a radiation

contamination hazard. When the powder

matrix in the column dries, radioactively

contaminated powder can be spread around

the lab. Place all used spin columns in conical

tubes or plastic bags, and then into the

radioactive waste container to avoid

contamination of the lab.

Ice buckets

Ice buckets used to cool tubes of radioactive

material frequently become contaminated.

Dispose of the used ice in a sink designated

for radioactive material disposal. Rinse

the sink well to help the ice melt and to

decontaminate the sink before anyone else

uses it.

Centrifuge

Balance the centrifuge well to avoid breakage andContamination of the inside of the centrifuge.Wipe off tubes before centrifugation to avoidcontaminating the inside of the centrifuge.Close tubes tightly, preferably using screw top tubes.Let the centrifuge stop completely before opening,esp. bench top models. Broken tubes in a movingcentrifuge can spray radioactive material on personneland the lab.

Shakers

Place plastic-backed

absorbent on a shaker

to catch any spills. This

allows one to dispose of

the contaminated absorbent

in the RA waste container,

and can save hours of

cleaning. This is especially

important with shared

equipment = no down time.

Gel Handling

Wear gloves and lab coat when handling gels.

Be aware of dose rate from P-32 containing gels.

Dispose of as a solid or dry RA waste.

Ensure gel does not run through processor with the autoradiography X-ray film.

Electrophoresis &Autoradiography

Prevent fires with proper use of gel electrophoresisequipment. Ensure proper voltage and avoidrunning gels overnight when labs are not attended.Equipment should be labeled as containing RAM.

Be sure autoradiography cassette is labeled as containing RAMso all potential handlers/users are aware. Cassettes must also be kept secure from loss or theft per MA RCP regulations.

Avoid contamination of a meter

If your geiger counter probe is contaminated,

you will not be able to perform safety surveys.

Do NOT cover the probe with Parafilm, as this

reduces detector efficiency, esp. with C-14 and S-35.

Turn/hold the probe sideways to survey your hands

so any droplets do not fall onto the pancake probe.

Do not touch the probe to surfaces to survey – use

½ inch detector to surface distance.

Post Experimental Surveys

Performing radiation contamination surveys

periodically during RAM use and immediately

after each use of RAM is the “heart” of a good

radiation safety program. Find any

contamination early, before it is spread around

the lab or contaminates others. Frequent

surveys are ALARA and save work in the long

run.

Change of clothing

It is recommended that those who work directly with radioisotopes keep a change of clothing for

emergencies. Spills can happen. If one’s clothing

is splashed with radioactive materials [or other

chemicals] having a clean set of clothing readily available is very helpful. This can be your own clothing or a set of scrubs, which you can keep in a locker or desk drawer in case it is needed.