Radioactive Waste Pick-up Schedule

Pickup Location	Pickup Time	Area's Served
Loading Dock behind CB Building	09:00 -09:45 a.m. Wednesdays	CA, CB, CL
Loading Dock behind CN Building	10:00 - 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays (by appointment only)	CN
Other area's require radioactive material pickup's will be handled on an appointment basis. (706-721-9826).
Note: Appoints may be made by calling 706-721-9826 or completing the form at "Request for Radioactive Waste Pickup".  When calling, please inform our office of any supplies you will need. The Radiation Safety Office provides radioactive waste bags, radioactive waste tags, and radioactive materials tape. CB = Research and education builing CL = Hamilton Wing

 

Procedures for the Packaging and Tagging of Radioactive Waste

The three types of radioactive waste produced at the Georgia Health Sciences University are dry waste, liquid waste, and biological waste.

• • Dry waste is radioactive waste which does not contain free liquids.  Dry Waste may be damp from aqueous materials, but must not contain organic solvents or other materials regulated as being hazardous. All dry waste containing isotopes with half lives longer than 60 days,  such as H-3, C-14 and S-35 should be packaged separately from isotopes with half lives 60 days or less such as P-32, I-125, CR-51.
    
    
  • Liquid waste does not contain solids, to include filters, pipette tips, stir bars, and gels. Examples of liquid waste are scintillation vials and free liquids poured into carboys. When using carboys supplied by the Radiation Safety Office, leave at least 10 percent head space for thermal expansion and to facilitate pouring of the liquid from the container. Prior to pickup by the Radiation Safety Office, remove any external contamination and attach a completed radioactive waste tag. The Radiation Safety Office provides small buckets for collection of scintillation vials. A radioactive waste tag should accompany the bucket or any other container used to collect and transport radioactive waste.
    
    
  • Biological waste consists of animal carcasses and animal bedding contaminated with radioactive material. This waste should be placed in a clear plastic bag and then into a yellow radioactive waste bag identifying the contents.

Waste bags, boxes, carboys, or scintillation vial buckets containing improperly packaged or non-radioactive waste will be refused until properly repackaged by laboratory personnel.