WORKING WITH 32P RADIONUCLIDES
GENERAL RULES
The Atomic Energy Control Board requires the lab to be locked when unattended.
Food or drink is never allowed in the lab.
Always wear a lab coat, double gloves and eye protection.
Dosimeters are to be worn at all times when working with radioactivity.
ORDERING AND RECEIVING RADIONUCLIDES
Radionuclide requisitions must be filled out and signed by authorized personnel (James or Peter) then
taken to Sharon Binyamin, the Radionuclide Controller, in room 5213 of the Gerrard Wing.For Monday
deliveries order deadline is Thursday before noon. Paperwork for Thursday deliveries should be
received Monday before 4:00 PM. Pick up is usually between 1-2:00 PM on the appropriate day. Only
those listed on the permit may pick up radionuclides. Wear a lab coat and dosimeter when picking up
parcels. The parcels are checked before dispersal and are safe for transport. Do not wear gloves or
sandals when picking up radionuclides or you will not be given the parcel. Try to be on time. In the lab
turn on Geiger counter and remove the orange container from the box. Remove the sticker from the
container and put it onto the inner vial. Deface the orange container and the cardboard box with marker
and put in the hall for disposal. Tape the vial tracking record sheet on the wall near the hot area in the
appropriate place.
PROPERTIES OF 32P
Half-life is 14.3 days.
Emission type 100% beta.
Range in air 610cm, in tissue 0.7cm.
Shielding 0.8cm Plexiglass for quantities less than 1 mCi. Quantities greater than that require lead
shielding due to x-ray production.
Monitor with Geiger counter and scintillation counter.
WORKING IN THE HOT AREA
Fill in the sign up sheet posted on the wall.
Always do a dry run of the procedure to become familiar with the movements and equipment required.
Wear a lab coat, double gloves and eye protection.
Turn on Geiger counter and monitor the entire area and all relevant equipment.
Set up the equipment and remove the nuclide from the fridge. (If the vial has not been opened it will
contain a plastic plunger that has to be removed prior to use. Take a pipetmen and put on a p20/200
barrier tip, then insert the tip into the hole in the plunger. Remove the plunger and discard in the solid
waste box. See page 4. )
Remove the required volume of nuclide to a screw top vial (ALWAYS USE A SCREW TOP VIAL
WHEN WORKING WITH RADIOACTIVITY) Eject the tip into the solid waste and put the vial
back in the fridge. Monitor your hands and pipetman. Monitor yourself and equipment after each
manipulation or you may contaminate everything you touch.
After the procedure is complete, put things back where they belong and monitor the area.
Don't forget to fill in the use and disposal sheet.
If you are storing a tube, make sure it is well labeled as to contents and date. Store in Plexiglas boxes
kept at -20 for this purpose. (Discard your old tubes when they are no longer of use.) Wash your hands
when done and MONITOR MONITOR MONITOR.
WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG
DON'T PANIC!!
Tell those in the lab that there has been a spill or you have found a hot spot.
If it is a minor spill in the (hot area) wipe with absorbent paper or Kimwipes. Put paper in solid waste
as needed. Monitor your gloves for contamination and replace as needed.
Spray decontaminant (NOT ON 100˚ BLOCK) onto the area and wipe with clean paper. Monitor your
gloves and replace them if they too become contaminated. When the Geiger counter falls to within
background levels the spill has been cleaned. Verify decontamination by doing a wipe test. Inform
supervisor then safety office if needed. Proceed with the experiment only if safe to do so.
For a major spill stop procedures immediately and notify lab.
Assist any injured worker.
Evacuate area but stay in the immediate vicinity until monitored.
Post warning signs to prevent entry to area and call the safety office. Emergency pager 582-2564. They
will supervise decontamination.
Submit written report to the safety office.
PERSONNEL DECONTAMINATION
Notify safety office.
Remove contaminated clothing.
Decontaminate any area of the body that has a higher count than surrounding area.
Soap and water will remove > 99% of contaminant.
A shower is needed for large body surfaces. Special attention to hair, hands and fingernails.
Do not use organic solvents.
Monitor
Fill out a report and submit to supervisor.
WASTE DISPOSAL
All solid waste goes into the Plexiglass boxes that are lined with blue plastic bags. Vials must not be
mixed with any other waste. Glass and plastic must be disposed of in separate containers from each
other and separate from other waste. Do not add any sharps to the solid waste.
All liquid waste goes into the celite containers. There must be no liquid above celite beads when
discarded.
When these are full, attach lid, and put into the large Plexiglass box kept under the hot area.
When the box is full waste disposal labels must be attached to the various containers and the contents
taken to the bunker in the basement of the Elm Wing (Room B317).
Two people should go down to the bunker. One is gloved to handle the waste the other does not wear
gloves. His/her duty is to push elevator buttons and open doors as needed.
The key to the bunker can be obtained from the engineers room (Room B117). The combination
number to the bunker door can be found on the disposal box. A copy of the vial tracking records must
be forwarded to the safety office.
TRANSFER OF NUCLIDE BETWEEN LABS
The transfer of nuclides between labs is not encouraged and forbidden by Occupational Health and
Safety. Always plan your experiments and anticipate usage.
WIPE TESTS
Wipe tests are to be done every week. It is a requirement of the license.
There is a plan of the lab attached to one of the hybaid ovens that shows the areas to test.
Place 5mls of scintillation fluid into plastic vials and number the tops to identify the areas tested.
Dip a Q-tip into 100% ethanol and wipe the representative area being tested.
Place the Q-tip into the appropriate vial and screw on the lid.
Remember to include a control vial.
Measure the radioactivity in the vials using the scintillation counter in room 11-107.
Use code card #4 to run the program. This will give a full range count for 1 minute.
The red tower is put after the final vial to stop the counting; otherwise it will loop and count again.
Remove the vials when you are done and return them to the lab.
If the counts are within acceptable levels label, date the printout, and put in yellow binder on shelf by
the door. Anything that is twice background is not acceptable.
If an area is contaminated it must be cleaned and another wipe test performed. The printout must also
be put in yellow binder.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF ANY PROCEDURE PLEASE ASK FOR ASSISTANCE.