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Table of Contents

Dry Solid Radioactive Waste

Containers

Shielding of Containers

Waste Disposal Records

Prohibited Disposals

• Sink Disposals
• Prohibited Sink Disposals

• Traditional Fluids
• Biodegradable and Nontoxic Fluids
• Approved Disposal Methods for Traditional Fluids
• Approved Disposal Methods for Biodegradable and Nontoxic Fluids
• Sink Disposal Criteria
• Sink Disposal Instructions
• Approved Fluids for Sink Disposal
• Excluded Materials

DRY SOLID RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Containers

The Radiation Safety Section provides containers for the disposal of dry solid radioactive waste to all radionuclide projects using unsealed radioactive material.  The container consists of a 23 gallon plastic Rubbermaid base with a plastic liner and lid.  The base and lid are labeled with radiation warning signs and other important information.  Separate containers are provided for short-lived (half-lives of 90 days or less) and long-lived radioactive waste (half-lives greater than 90 days).  The plastic bags that line the containers and the labels on the container and lid are color coded green for short-lived waste and yellow for long-lived waste.

Small bench top containers may also be used for the collection of dry solid radioactive waste provided the following precautions are taken:

• The container is properly labeled with the universal radiation warning symbol and the words "Caution, Radioactive Material."  The color of the symbol and words may be magenta, purple, or black on a yellow background.  In addition a work area sign (available from the Radiation Safety Section) should be posted in the area.
• Waste should be removed from these smaller containers frequently.  If waste is allowed to accumulate, a separate radioactive waste log should be maintained.

The dry solid radioactive waste container is made of 1/8 inch thick linear low density polyethylene, which has a density of about 0.9 grams per cubic centimeter.  It is thick enough to stop beta particles below about  600 keV including those from C-14, S-35, and Ca-45.  Some of the more energetic beta particles from P-32 will penetrate the container, but will emerge with a reduced energy.  If needed, a properly sized waste container beta shield is available from Nalgene dealers.  A photograph of the shield is provided below.  Contact your favorite Nalgene dealer (e.g., Fischer Scientific) for pricing information.

    Nalgene 6745-9024 waste container shield.

Waste Disposal Records

Each disposal of radioactive waste must be entered on the log form provided by the Radiation Safety Section, and entries must be reasonably accurate.   Disposal information must be summarized and reported on the Monthly Radionuclide Inventory Reports.

Prohibited Disposals

The following items may never be placed in a dry solid radioactive waste container:

• Radioactive warning labels (Refer to the Section 5.6.5 of UIC Radiation Safety Manual).
• Sealed sources and check sources
• Uranium and thorium compounds
• Sharps
• Hypodermic needles and syringes
• Biohazardous or chemically hazardous radioactive waste
• Nonradioactive waste
• Lead
• Biohazard bags
• Liquids including scintillation fluid and HPLC solvents
• Gaseous radioactive material
• Animals (see additional information below)

Sink Disposals

Low level liquid radioactive waste may be poured down approved laboratory sinks if all of the following requirements are satisfied:

• The waste is readily soluble or miscible in water, or must be biological material that is readily dispersible in water.  Waste containing radioactive microspheres may not be disposed of by sink because they accumulate in traps and low points in the sewage system.
• The waste may not contain chemical compounds or biohazardous materials that are not permitted to be poured into sinks.  Some scintillation fluids may be disposed of by sink.
• Disposals must be made in sinks that are posted by the Radiation Safety Section with yellow and magenta sink disposal signs.  The instructions printed on the sign must be followed.
• The total activity disposed of in any calendar month must not exceed the limit stated in the project authorization documents, usually 3 mCi per month of all radionuclides combined.
• Reasonable precautions must be taken to prevent the sink from becoming contaminated.  A funnel and plastic tubing supported by a ring stand may be used to direct the contaminated liquid directly into the drain.  The sink should be flushed with copious amounts of running water during and immediately after the disposal.
• The sink must be surveyed for contamination after each disposal and decontamination must be performed whenever contamination is detected.
• A reasonably accurate record must be made promptly after each disposal on the disposal log provide by the Radiation Safety Section.
• Disposals must be summarized and reported on the monthly Radionuclide Inventory Report.

The following radioactive liquids may not be discharged into the sewer system:

• Material that is prohibited from being sewage disposal by any regulation.  Call the Health and Safety Section at extension 6-7233 (6-SAFE) for additional information.
• Material that is not soluble or biological material that is not readily dispersible in water.
• Any waste that contains radioactive microspheres.
• Any waste that would cause the maximum permissible monthly disposal limit for the project to be exceeded.

Liquid scintillation fluids (cocktails) can be broadly categorized by the solvents they contain.

Traditional Fluids

Traditional fluids contain toluene, xylene, pseudocumene, and other low flash point hydrocarbon solvents that are categorized as flammable liquids.  Most of these solvents are also recognized by the EPA as hazardous for the purpose of waste disposal.  They evaporate readily and can cause fire, explosion, and inhalation hazards.  Traditional scintillation fluids may NOT be disposed of by sewer, but must be disposed of by transferring them to the Radiation Safety Section.  While their use is not prohibited, it is discouraged.

"Biodegradable" and "Nontoxic" Fluids

Some of the newer scintillation fluids contain solvents such as DIN (di-isopropylnaphthalene), PXE (1-phenyl-1-xylylethane), and LAB (linear dodecyl benzene or linear alkylbenzene).  These solvents have higher flash points, which reduces the potential for causing fires and explosions.  They are also safer for laboratory personnel to handle because they have much lower toxicity.  Because most of these fluids are biodegradable and are not categorized as hazardous by the EPA, sewage disposal is allowed.  Use of these types of scintillation fluids, and subsequent sewage disposal,  is encouraged.

Approved Disposal Method for Traditional Fluids

Traditional fluids must be disposed of as hazardous waste.  The Radiation Safety Section will collect scintillation vials and bulk fluids after they are properly categorized and packaged.  Packaging instructions are found on the scintillation waste disposal form.

Approved Disposal Method for Biodegradable and Nontoxic Fluids

A large number of scintillation fluids that are marketed by the manufacturers as biodegradable or nontoxic were evaluated by the EHSO's Radiation Safety Section and the Health and Safety Section.  Fluids that meet the following criteria may be poured directly down approved laboratory sinks.

Sink Disposal Criteria

• The fluid must be approved by the Radiation Safety Section for sink disposal (see list below).
• The material may not contain any hazardous waste that could not be disposed of via sewer (refer such questions to the Health and Safety Section at extension 6-7233).
• The pH of the fluid must be between 6 and 9.
• The fluid will not gel inside the drain pipe during or after disposal.
• The disposals will not exceed the sewage disposal limit established for the project (usually 3 mCi/month of all radionuclides combined, but check project authorization documents for the official project limit).

Sink Disposal Instructions

Be sure the scintillation fluid meets the sink disposal criteria (above).

Make disposals only in sinks that are approved for disposal of liquid radioactive waste (posted by the Radiation Safety Section).

Wear disposable laboratory gloves and a lab coat.

Turn on the water to a moderate flow rate.

Slowly pour the scintillation fluid directly down the drain hole of the sink.  It may be useful to pour the liquid into the drain using a a funnel with plastic tubing supported by a ring stand.  Make sure the tubing is inserted at least 6 inches into the sink drain.

Thoroughly rinse each emptied vial with water and drain any residual liquid from the vials.  More thorough decontamination is recommended if vials will be recycled.

If a funnel and tubing is used for disposals, rinse them thoroughly when done.

Let the water flow for at least 5 minutes after the disposal.  Do not leave sinks with running water unattended.

Make a reasonably accurate entry on the sewage disposal log form by the sink and record the disposal on the next inventory report in the sewage disposal column.

If the vials will be discarded as waste, vials that contained H-3 and C-14 in concentrations of less than 0.05 microcurie per milliliter have been deregulated by the IDNS and may be disposed of as ordinary trash.  Vials that contained other radionuclides or that contained H-3 or C-14 in excess of 0.05 microcurie per milliliter must be placed in a radioactive waste disposal container.  Enter a nominal value of 0.01 microcurie of the appropriate radionuclide(s) on the solid waste disposal log for every 100 vials placed in the container.

The following fluids were evaluated and are approved for sink disposal at UIC.
 

MANUFACTURER	PRODUCT NAME	CATALOG OR PART NUMBER	USES RECOMMENDED BY MANUFACTURER
Amersham	BCS	NBCS104	Designed for counting a wide variety of aqueous, inorganic, and organic samples at high capacities.
Amersham	BCS NA	NBCS204	Efficient counting of non-aqueous samples.
Beckman	Ready Safe	158735 141349	Multipurpose with high counting efficiency.
Fisher Scientific	Scintiverse BD Cocktail 60803	SX18 250 SX18 4	Universal cocktail for aqueous, non-aqueous, and emulsion counting systems.
Fisher Scientific	ScintiSafe Econo 1 45345	SX20 5 SX20 SAMPLE SX20-4 SX20-500	Best at ambient temperatures for aqueous samples, dilute salt and buffer solutions, acids and bases, density gradients.
Fisher Scientific	ScintiSafe Econo 2 45346	SX21 5 SX21 SAMPLE	As for ScintiSafe Econo 1, but performs well above and below ambient temperatures.
Fisher Scientific	ScintiSafe Econo R 45347	SX22 5 SX22 SAMPLE	100% organic samples, dry filters, as an alternative to Toluene/PPO.
Fisher Scientific	ScintiSafe 30% 45348	SX23 5 SX23 SAMPLE	High efficiency for swipe tests, dilute salt and buffer solutions, tritium counting.
Fisher Scientific	ScintiSafe Gel 43549	SX24 5 SX24 Sample	Suspension particle counting, TLC scrapings, soil samples, density gradients, biological samples.
Fisher Scientific	ScintiSafe Plus 50%	SX25 5 SX25 SAMPLE	Large volumes of aqueous sample, miniaturization, strong alkaline samples, wet filter counting for receptor binding assays
ICN	EcoLume	880020	Aqueous and organic samples such as deionized water, phosphate buffered saline, PBS with gelatin or BSA, sucrose gradients, salt solution, 0.1N HCl, 0.1 N NaOH, etc.
ICN	EcoLite(+)	882453	Exceptional water and salt holding characteristics, and for difficult to count RIA samples, basic samples, phosphate buffers, and biological fluids. High H-3 and C-14 counting efficiencies.
ICN	Universol ES	882470	Gelling cocktail with physical characteristics of "triton and toluene" type cocktails.
ICN	CytoScint ES	882475	One-step counting of filters, TLC scrapings, and samples solublized in hyamine hydroxide.
ICN	BetaMax ES	882480	Beta particle counting in non-aqueous samples, samples dried on solid supports, and organic samples extracted from aqueous mixtures
National Diagnostics	Ecoscint	LS-271	Aqueous and non-aqueous samples.
National Diagnostics	Ecoscint A	LS-273	High efficiency for aqueous samples, resistance to photo- and chemiluminescence, biological samples, acrylamide gel slices.
National Diagnostics	Ecoscint O	LS-274	Non-aqueous samples, lower background, improved quench resistance compared with non biodegradable solutions.
National Diagnostics	Ecoscint H	LS-275	High efficiency for aqueous sample volumes under 10% of total sample volume, resistance to photo- and chemiluminescence, biological samples, acrylamide gel slices.
National Diagnostics	Uniscint BD	LS-276	Accommodates high salt and buffer samples, non-gelling, suitable for use in on-line HPLC flow detectors.
National Diagnostics	Monoflow 5	LS-285	Nontoxic, biodegradable scintillator for flow detectors (ratios of 3:1).
Packard	Ultima Gold	6013329 (2 x 5 liters)	Very high counting efficiency, high capacity, for aqueous or non-aqueous samples, high quench resistance.
Packard	Ultima Gold XR	6013119 (2 x 5 liters)	Extended range of sample holding capacity, high quench resistance, high counting efficiency.
Packard	Ultima Gold LLT	6013377 (4 x 2.5 liters)	High water capacity, high counting efficiency, very low background levels, for bioassay of urine, high heavy metal sample capacity.
Packard	Ultima Gold MV	6013329 (2 x 5 liters)	Fast and easy sample mixing, high counting efficiency, ideal for counting small volumes, vortexing and counting wet glass fiber filters.
Packard	Ultima Gold F	6013179 (2 x 5 liters)	High counting efficiencies for dried filters, filter mats and organic samples, alpha and beta LSC counting.
Packard	Ultima Gold AB	6013309 (2 x 5 liters)	Excellent alpha/beta discrimination, excellent for strong mineral acids, high quench resistance, high sample capacity.
Packard	Opti-Fluor	6013199 (2 x 5 liters)	Multi-purpose cocktail, low photo and chemiluminescence.
Packard	Opti-Fluor O	6013339 (2 x 5 liters)	Non-aqueous organic samples.
Packard	Poly-Fluor	6013279 (2 x 5 liters)	Economical sample counting.
Packard	Ultima-Flo M	6013579 (2 x 5 liters) 6013572 (20 liters)	Multi-Purpose flow cocktail, high counting efficiency, low viscosity, non-gelling.
Packard/	Ultima-Flo AF	6013589 (2 x 5 liters)	Specifically formulated for ammonium formate, high counting efficiency, low viscosity, non-gelling.
Research Products International	Bio-Safe II	111195 111196	Aqueous solutions, salt/buffer solutions, biological materials, organic solutions, wet filters.
Research Products International	Bio-Safe NA	111198 111199	Highest efficiency when counting organic miscible samples and dry filters.
Research Products International	Econo-Safe	111175 111176	General purpose cocktail for aqueous and non-aqueous samples.
Wallac	OptiScint HiSafe II	1200-434	Suitable for all organic samples
Wallac	OptiPhase HiSafe 2	1200-436	General purpose cocktail with a moderate to high sample holding capacity for a wide range of aqueous and non-aqueous solutes.
Wallac	OptiPhase HiSafe 3	1200-437	Capable of handling a broad range of solutes, very high level of sample acceptance particularly for high ionic strength solutes.
Wallac	OptiPhase Hi-Load	1200-438	No description available
Wallac	OptiPhase SuperMix	1200-439	For use with microtitration plates.
Wallac	OptiPhase TriSafe	1200-440	High solute uptake and low background, ideal for extended counting times.
Wallac	Betaplate Scint	1205-440	For samples harvested or spotted onto filter membranes.

Excluded Materials

The following liquids may NOT be included with scintillation waste.

• Concentrated Solutions and Stock Solutions - Concentrated solutions, such as material from stock bottles, may not be put into scintillation vials or included with trays of vials for disposal as scintillation waste.
• Nonaqueous Solvents - Contaminated solvents that cannot be disposed of by sink may not be disposed of as scintillation waste.
• Nonradioactive Liquids - Nonradioactive liquids, including uncontaminated scintillation fluids, may not be disposed of as scintillation waste.  Contact the Health and Safety Section for disposal of all nonradioactive hazardous liquids.

Animal waste that is contaminated with radioactive material should be placed in opaque plastic bags and kept frozen until collected by the Radiation Safety Section.   Each bag should be labeled with the radionuclide, activity, and date.  Never put animal waste, tissue samples, or objects contaminated with blood, urine, or feces into dry solid waste containers.  Chapter 5, Section 5.10, of the UIC Radiation Safety Manual contains addtional information.  Projects that are authorized to use radioactive material in animals have detailed instructions for waste disposal in their project authorization documents.