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

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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
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