Radiation safety in the central radiopharmacy

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiopharmacy Practice
• Radiation Safety

Background:

• Increasing use of radiopharmaceuticals and unit doses elevates radiation burden for radiopharmacy personnel.
• High-activity molybdenum-99/technetium-99M generators and frequent elutions contribute to occupational exposure.
• Key exposure points include generator elution, compounding, and dispensing, alongside package receipt and waste disposal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the growing radiation exposure risks for radiopharmacy staff.
• To discuss methods for monitoring radiation exposure.
• To present strategies for reducing radiation doses in radiopharmacy settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of current radiopharmaceutical practices and their impact on personnel.
• Discussion of radiation monitoring devices (film badges, TLDs, self-reading dosimeters).
• Description of dose reduction techniques, including tool usage and shielding.

Main Results:

• Extremity doses for radiopharmacy workers can reach 14-21 rem/year.
• Effective dose reduction strategies involve using tools like forceps and syringe shields.
• Internal dose risks from volatile radioactive iodine require bioassays and strict monitoring.

Conclusions:

• Radiopharmacy personnel require vigilant radiation safety practices due to increasing workloads.
• Appropriate monitoring devices and protective measures are crucial for managing occupational radiation exposure.
• Implementing simple shielding and handling techniques can effectively minimize radiation risks in radiopharmacy operations.