Is radioactive waste produced in medical activities using isotopes?
As a result of the use and manipulation of nonencapsulated isotopes in nuclear medicine for diagnosing and treating patients, small amounts of radioactive waste of a short half-life and low concentration are produced, which must be managed in accordance with legal criteria and regulations. Waste from administered doses that are eliminated by hospitalized patients are radioactive liquid substances. Since they have a short half-life, they generally lose most of their activity after a storage period in protected tanks and, after being diluted, can be discharged into the drainage system by using slow, controlled disposal systems. Solid waste comes from contaminated syringes, vials and tubes used in analytical techniques, as well as products contaminated by hospitalized patients such as bedclothes, pyjamas and other objects whose contamination will be previously tested. These are normally stored in containers with suitable shielding until they lose their activity, and only in the event that
