Disposal of therapeutic 131I waste using a multiple holding tank system.
Therapeutic application of 131I for the treatment of thyroid cancer generates a significant amount of liquid radioactive waste. Discharge of this waste into the public sewage system is governed by local regulations. In Canada, the permissible concentration is such that only a few patients can be treated in modern water-efficient buildings if this waste is discharged directly through the toilet to the public sewage system. If the toilet discharge is first collected into a holding tank for physical decay before it is released, a large patient load can be handled without exceeding the permissible concentration. In this paper, the principles of operation and the design parameters are discussed, and a multiple holding tank system installed in the Princess Margaret Hospital/Ontario Cancer Institute is described.
Princess Margaret Hospital and Ontario Cancer Institute, Clinical Physics Department, Toronto, Canada.
P M
PM
Leung
M
M
Nikolic
D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000652:urine; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009864:Ontario; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D011874:Radiometry; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000652:urine
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D011850:Radioactive Waste