IKN-RS-SOP-05: Radioactive Waste Management

Segregation and Storage Radioactive Waste  

1. The RPO or Physicist shall ensure that all radioactive wastes are segregated and stored at a designated storage area, marked clearly with proper warning signs.
2. General waste and recyclable materials shall not be stored in this radioactive designated storage area.
3. Competent person shall ensure good housekeeping for all waste stored in the common area under their jurisdiction.

Categories of Waste

Radioactive waste is generally in the form of a gas, solid or liquid. All packaging of waste must include appropriate containers or bag for the type of waste and a radioactive storage label.  

Disposal of Clinical Radioactive Waste I-131, Tc-99m, I-124, Lu-177 Y-90, Ga-68 and F-18

1. All sharp items waste generated from radionuclide waste (syringe, needle, razor etc) shall deposited into special radioactive waste bins with radioactivity hazard symbol outside the shielded bin located as shows in table 1. All non-sharp items waste generated from radionuclide waste (gloves, absorbent paper and etc) shall deposited into special radioactive waste bag with radioactivity hazard symbol outside the shielded bin located as shows in table 2.
2. Each radioactive waste bin or bag shall contain waste only a specific radioactive waste only and shall not allow mixing with other radioactive.
3. Each waste bin or bag shall be closed with lid and securely sealed proper before storage for decay. RPO or Physicist shall place the label at the waste bin and the information shall contain the following information:
   1. Bin/Bag No
   2. Location (Room No) / Type of Waste 
   3. State
   4. Closed Date
   5. Disposed Date
   6. Performed By
4. The appointed radiation workers will collect closed waste bin or bag end of the week and transfer into the Radioactive Waste Room (WA-114 or NM-148). The location of the waste bin for F-18 at Cyclotron Facility (G-NM-25) and PET-CT Hot lab (G-NM-18).
5. The radioactive waste shall be stored for decaying up to 10 half-lives as listed in table 2. After 10 half-lifes the dose rate shall be measured before send as clinical, biological or general waste. However, Nuclear Medicine shall regularly check the dose rate.
6. Record the reading using IKN-RS-F-063 Radioactive Waste Disposal Record prior before release as a general waste.
7. If any abnormal situation, RPO shall be informed as soon as possible.
8. Location of Radioactive Waste Bin
   1. Radioactive waste bin shall be located at area dealing or handling with radioactive waste material. The shielding for waste bin shall enough to absorb radiation emitted from the radioactive waste material. The radioactive waste material shall be transferred to the respective radioactive waste room according in weekly basis. The location of waste bin;

Disposal of Food Waste from Patients Receiving Radioactive (Radionuclide Ward)

1. All contaminated food waste with radioactive from the isolated patients shall collected using radioactive waste bags (plastic bags with radioactivity hazard symbol) which placed outside the isolation room. 
2. Each of radioactive waste bags should contain ONLY for waste contaminated with radioactive and shall be put inside the patients’ airlock room during each of meal time.
3. Each radioactive waste bag shall be closed and securely and properly sealed before send to general waste area.
4. The Nuclear Medicine staff will collect the disposal bag and measure the dose rate of the contaminated food waste every day.
5. The surface dose rate of the bag must not be greater than 5 μSv/hr at surface. If the dose rate more than permissible level, the waste bag shall be kept for decay process inside the Waste Room (WA-114). However, Nuclear Medicine shall regularly check the dose rate and release as general waste once the dose rate level is below permissible limit.
6. The tag information (for case >5uSv/hr) for food waste such as
   1. Patients Name / ID:
   2. Type of Radioactive:
   3. Room No:
   4.  Admission Date:
   5.  Discharge Date:
   6.  Activity:
7. Glassware and sharps are not allowed to be put together in the radioactive waste bags.
8. Record the reading using IKN-RS-F-057 Food Waste Record prior release the radioactive waste bags as general waste.
9. If any abnormal situation, RPO shall be informed as soon as possible.

Contaminated Linen from Patients Receiving Radioactive (Radionuclide Ward)

1. All patient’s linen shall be collected into dedicated linen bags that provided in each isolation rooms before transfer to the dirty utility room after patient discharged from the ward.
2. Make sure the linen bags bind it properly before transfer into dirty utility room (WA-119) by Nuclear Medicine staff.
3. The linen’s bag shall tag with sticker by Nuclear Medicine staff. The sticker information such as;
   1. Patients Name / ID:
   2. Room No:
   3. Admission Date:
   4.  Discharge Date:
   5.  Activity of ¹³¹I:
4. The surface dose rate of the bag must not be greater than 5 μSv/hr at surface. If the dose rate more than permissible level, the waste bag shall be kept for decay process inside the Waste Room (WA-114) and release as general waste once the dose rate level is below permissible limit.
5. Glassware and sharps are not allowed put inside the linen’s bag.
6. Record the reading using IKN-RS-F-056 Linen Waste Record prior release the linen’s bags as general waste.
7. If any abnormal situation, RPO shall be informed as soon as possible

Patient Biological Waste (Urine, Faeces and Salivary)

1. All the generated waste from patients such as urine, faeces and salivary from isolation ward should be collected in Radionuclide Decay Tank System.
2. These wastes are then treated with several options either it will be diluted or delay and decay procedure.
3. The sample waste from decay tank shall be measured by Nuclear Medicine Physicist prior relapse to the general sewage before can be discharged as general waste into the sewer according to the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 304 (Radioactive Waste Management) Regulations 2011 as in Table 3.
4. Record the reading using IKN-RS-F-060 Decay Tank Waste Disposal Record prior release the waste to the public sewage as general waste.
5. If any abnormal situation, RPO shall be informed as soon as possible

Other Patient Waste (Sanitary Pad, Diapers etc)

1. Patients who vomits and female sanitary pad shall be collected separately and put inside radioactive waste bags (plastic bags with radioactivity hazard symbol) and transfer into Radioactive Waste Room (WA-114) for decay before send to the third party for general waste disposal. The radioactive waste bag information shall contain following information:
   1. Bag No
   2. Location (Room No) / Type of Waste
   3.  State
   4. Closed Date
   5. Dispose Date
   6. Performed By
2. The Nuclear Medicine staff will collect the waste bag and transfer into the Radioactive Waste Room (WA-114 or NM-148).
3. The radioactive waste shall be stored for decaying up to 10 half-life. After 10 half-life the dose rate shall be measured before send as clinical or general waste. However, Nuclear Medicine shall regularly check the dose rate.
4. Record the reading using IKN-RS-F-063 Radioactive Waste Disposal Record prior before release it as a general waste.
5. If any abnormal situation, RPO shall be informed as soon as possible

Disused Radionuclide Waste Collection (Solid Radioactive Waste)

1. Radioactive waste with a half-life more than 100 days shall send back to the manufacture and keep at Nuclear Waste Holding room (1-NW-105) for temporary storage before send for disposal.
2. RPO will ensure that the radioactive waste collector has a valid license handling with the radioactive wastes to be collected from IKN.
3. Upon receipt of the radioactive waste disposal form IKN-RS-F-052 Long half Life Waste Record), RPO will schedule an inspection.
4. RPO shall ensure radioactive waste container labelled and recorded correctly while attached together with the dedicated waste.

Decay Storage Procedure of Radioactive Material

1. In most cases, it is possible to store radioactive material until the activity has decayed to negligible levels, followed by disposal as non-radioactive waste. Frequently, the elapse of 10 half-lives is a sufficient decay time but the radiation levels must still be measured before disposal and determined to be at background levels.

   TABLE 2: TYPICAL HALF LIFE

   Isotope	Time for decay
   Co-57	2718 days
   S-35	870 days
   I-125	600 days
   Cr-51	280 days
   Ge-68	271 days
   P-33	255 days
   Ba-133	10.51 years
   Cs-137	30.17 years
   P-32	140 days
   I-131	80 days
   Ga-67	30 days
   Tc-99m	60 hours
   F-18	20 hours
   I-124	42 day
   Lu-177	67.3 days

2. Radioactive waste materials should be contained in properly shielded containers and the storage area must be secure. A “radioactive materials” label must identify storage cabinets. The radiation levels must be measured outside the storage area and radiation warning signs must be posted if radiation levels exceed 5 μSv/hr in any accessible area.
3. Radioisotopes should not be mixed. If needed, isotopes with similar half-lives can be placed in the same container. The isotope with the longest half-life will determine the length of time the box will remain in storage.
4. Every effort must be taken to ensure non-radioactive waste does not end up in radioactive waste boxes. This reduction in the volume of radioactive waste will ensure limited storage space is not exceeded.
5. All radiation symbols in all waste streams must be defaced prior to disposal. Items that are still radioactive can have the symbol defaced as long as the outer container that is holding them still has a radiation warning symbol.
6. The storage label must be completed in full. 

   TABLE 3: MAXIMUM ACTIVITY RELEASED TO THE GENERAL SEWAGE

   Regulatory Disposal Quantities of Radionuclide For Radionuclides Commonly Disposed in Medicine and Research Reference: Atomic Energy Licensing (Radioactive Waste Management) Regulations 2011. If isotope not listed consult your licence or the Radiation Protection Officer
   Isotopes	Activity Concentration (Bq/g ) or (Bq/ml)	Activity (Bq)
   F-18	1 x 101	1 x 106
   P-32	1 x 103	1 x 105
   Cr-51	1 x 103	1 x 107
   I-123	1 x 102	1 x 107
   Tc-99m	1 x 102	1 x 107
   I-125	1 x 103	1 x 106
   I-131	1 x 102	1 x 106
   Y-90	1 x 103	1 x 106