Wipe testing for surface contamination by tritiated compounds

This study investigated the performance of the wipe test in determining contamination from tritiated triolein or thymidine on various surfaces. Filter papers were saturated with water, methanol, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate or maintained dry, and wipes were taken from lead, stainless steel, polyurethane, wood, painted lead, treated floor tile, Formica, or bench paper that were spotted with either 3H-thymidine or 3H-triolein. The recovery of contamination using the dry wipe test averaged 3% for all surfaces. Recoveries using wet wipes were directly related to the solubility of the tritiated compounds in the wipe solution and the physical nature of the wipe surface.