how do you protect yourself from isotope? - (Sep/21/2006 )

How do you protect yourself from radiation when working with alpha 32P, gamma 32P, 3H, or ... isotope?

Wearing a coat? or just useing a plastic sheet?

Thanks

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I think you should check the safety statements from your institution. This is something serious and dangerous. It doesn't matter what we do; what matters is the right thing to do!

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wearing a coat doesn't protect you. there are shelding to do the job, depending on the type of radiation you use. You should talk to the one responsable for radioactivity in your institute before to start anything with radioactivity !
We won't tell you how to protect yourself because there are also plenty of rules in each institute about where to work, where to put the trash, about the control of irradiation, about a clinical examination.
You have to contact the person responsable for the radioactivity.

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i've added glasses designed for radio protection too. It wasn't supposed to be ordered at the beginning, but it's i think very important to have special care of eyes...

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Hi,

Wearing a coat or simple plastic sheet/metal sheet won't give you any protection against strong radiation from 32p. Different institutes will have different sorts of regulations and guidelines on radioactivity handling. But in most of the institutes a proper training is must before you can handle any radioactivity. You might want to consult your radioactivity officer before starting your experiments.

Pravin

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use very very small amounts... and having a not so small but thickly walled lead box helps. Ask engineering, they can build one quickly if given the proper incentive $£$£$

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safety guidelines are different for individual isotopes;

3H: Major concern is not radiation but incorporation; not a few think that 3H is rather harmless but underestimation forces carelessness and danger of incorporation

32P: hard beta-radiator; apron or gloves of lead are not to recommend because they produce X-ray if irridiated with 32P; X-ray is more harmful than the corresponding beta-radiation; wearing acryl glasses is necessary; direct handling with 32P-isotopes should be done behind at least 2 cm thick acryl screen, at the bottom with lead; NEVER look directly into the 32P stock even through a screen; samples should be stored in boxes or bombs of lead;

14C: often in organic substances, possibility of producing 14CO2 which may be aspired, so work in a hood

as recommended before, use only the amount you actually need

if your institute has a radioactivity lab, ask the supervisor for instructions, demonstrations and which isotopes and amounts are authorized

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Thanks for the help
As for the acryl glasses, where could I purchase it?
And, in addition to the glasses and thick screen, should I wear some special clothes to protect from the radiation?

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no special clothes (for 32P)
but you should wear a body dosimeter and it shoud be read each month by an indepedent control service, to be sure you were not irradiated.
for 125I, you must check the radioactivity of the thyroid gland after each experiment. you must wear a chemical mask and were under a hood.
for 51Cr and 125I you can wear a special coat that stops gamma radiation, but you get X-ray radiation.

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normally, your institute or clinic should hand out laboratory safety glasses (most are of acryl); for 32P wear a normal laboratory white coat, which should be stored in the radioactivity safety area after work, and not be used in normal labs; as mentioned, dosimeter may be obligatory if higher or much doses are routinley used; I think it is obligatory that radioactivity areas are supervised; supervisor may help you in any special question, and should be informed about any activities (your activity and radio activity );

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