What do you do with the "radioactive trash" after RAI treatments?

BT Mama

What did everyone do with the kitchen trash like the paper plates, cups, plastic drinking bottles, etc that were used during the RAI isolation time.  Somewhere I read that after a certain amount of time they weren't radioactive any more but I cant find that article. 

Baldy

Radioactive Trash

Hi,

Most of the radioactivite iodine (I-131) that your body gets rid of is in your urine.  This is well over 90% if I remember correctly (I did this almost four years ago) which is why they tell men to urinate sitting down, less splash.  Also, if I remember correctly, almost all of this is gone after 48 hours, which is why they wait this long to do the uptake scan.  There is a small amount that is lost in feces, sweat and saliva, but these are very small.  I think as long as the waste is contained, double bagged maybe, you can get rid it.  What you are trying to prevent is someone from ingesting any I-131 that you have egested one way or another.  The radiation by itself isn't that dangerous, it's when its ingested and absorbed by a healthy thyroid that it can cause trouble.  Large amounts of I-131 kill thyroid cells (healthy or cancerous), very small amounts can cause healthy thyroid cells to become cancerous, so again your trying to prevent someone from ingesting the I-131 you've egested.

Hope this helps and explains!

Alan

BT Mama

Radioactive waste

Thank you so much Alan. I appreciate your time.

Carol

butterfly501

Well, you make as less trash

Well, you make as less trash as possible.  No reason for paper dishware or utensils; handwash what you use.

Flush tp & kleenex.

You really shouldn't have anything to throw away.

 

butterfly501

Well, you make as less trash

Well, you make as less trash as possible.  No reason for paper dishware or disposable utensils; handwash what you use.

Flush tp & kleenex.

You really shouldn't have anything to throw away.