• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.128-132
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• 2010

Purpose: Nuclear medicine general operation room is radioactive control room which is used for the handling of radioisotope(R.I). Radioactive contamination materials must be under control and separated from general trash. With this experiments, we want to actively suggest the guideline of controling and operating radioactive contamination materials by measuring contamination degree and analyzing the causes which is not realized so far. Materials and Methods: Materials are selected from Oct. 2009 to March. 2010. salines which are used for labelling radiophamaceuticals and generator cap, saline needle cap, $^{99m}Tc$-needle cap saline vial which is generated from $^{99}Mo$/$^{99m}Tc$ generator. After measuring each surface contamination degree by survey meter, mean value and standard deviation one were solved out. Results: In result, After measuring surface contamination degree, radioactivity of saline for labelling radiophamaceuticals showed $14429{\pm}26378$ cpm (p<0.05) and in measured generators, foreign imported things showed that generator cap : $9{\pm}21$ cpm, saline vial : $17{\pm}28$ cpm. saline needle cap : $35{\pm}66$ cpm, $^{99m}Tc$-needle cap : $9{\pm}21$ cpm, saline vial $13{\pm}28$ cpm. domestic things showed that generator cap : $22852{\pm}52545$ cpm, saline needle cap : $87367{\pm}109711$ cpm, $^{99m}Tc$-needle cap : $9008{\pm}10459$ cpm, saline vial : $186416{\pm}158196$ cpm (p<0.05). Conclusion: The saline which is used for labelling, exceeded 1/10 of maximum permissible range. this is generated from radiophamaceuticals dilution procedure. and In generators, radioactive value of foreign import things showed closely background value. but which of domestic thing showed that exceeded more than 1000 values 1/10 of maximum permissible range. the causes of that is domestic generator is contaminated in manufacturing procedure. So, to dispose radioactive contamination materials which is could betaken out of, the control and operation must be radical under controlled by radioactive measuring, recording and equipping of its own. if this is kept well, we can prevent surely that radioactive waste could be disposed like as general trash.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 2011

Purpose: In the Nuclear Medicine department of Asan Medical Center, radioactive waste has been disposed of by using several disposal boxes designed for nuclear waste. However, some quantity of radioactivity has been detected occasionally due to some radiologists' carelessness not only from radioactive waste, but also from medical waste such as uncontrolled radioactive waste related to patients, poly gloves or saline solution bottles from radiopharmaceuticals laboratory. Thus, this study is going to suggest a solution to maintain the medical wastes made from controlled areas that can be below maximum permissible surface dose limits by finding the cause of radioactive contamination. Materials and methods: This study was taken place in 17 different places-2 medical wastebaskets in the waiting room, 2 medical wastebaskets in the PET room, 5 medical wastebaskets in the in vitro laboratory and 6 medical wastebaskets in the radiopharmaceuticals laboratory of the East building, 2 medical wastebaskets in the waiting room of the New building of Nuclear Medicine Department in Asan Medical Center from April to August 2010. Mean radioactivity and its standard deviation of each place have been found by measuring surface contamination of medical wastebaskets and backgrounds twice a week, totaling 30 times. An independent t-test of SPSS (Ver. 12.0) statistic program has been used for statistical analysis. Swabs, saline solution bottles and poly gloves collected from each place also measured 30 times, respectively. Results: This study analyzed medical waste and the backgrounds of each place by using survey meter detectors that significant differences of five places did not exist, but existed statistically in twelve places (p<0.05). Also, swabs, saline solution bottles and poly gloves collected from each radioactive waste partly exceed the legal dose limit as a result of measuring by a gamma counter. Conclusion: Backgrounds and the surface doses of radioactive disposal box in all 17 places measured by the survey meter did not exceed the legal dose limit; however, it obviously showed that there were prominent differences in 12 places. Assuming that the cause of the differences was swabs, saline solution bottles and gloves, we examined them by gamma counter, and the results showed remarkably high doses of radioactivity. Consequently, swabs and poly gloves which are normally disposed in the general medical waste box should be disposed in the radioactive waste box furnished by radiopharmaceuticals laboratory. Also, saline solution discharged from radioactive pharmaceutical places is considered as radioactive liquid waste so that it should be disposed of by the septic tank specifically designed for radioactive liquid.