Environmental Health & Safety Newsletter

Summer 99

EH&S MISSION STATEMENT
The Medical College of Georgia, Environmental Health and Safety Division provides environmental safety services to staff, patients, and visitors. The three sections of EH&S - Radiation Safety, Environmental Health & Occupational Safety (EHOS) and Biological Safety ensure full compliance with all local, state and federal laws and effectively and efficiently meet the needs of those who require our services. We will continually improve the level and quality of services provided through creativity, teamwork and innovation.

IN THIS ISSUE:
What is Environmental Health and Safety Doing for MCG?
New Software for Radiation Safety Office
Radiation All Around Us
Chemical Update
Standing Ovations
Important Reminder from Radiation Safety
Available Chemicals

What is Environmental Health and Safety Doing for MCG?
Environmental Health and Occupational Safety
Developed a Respiratory Protection Plan based on campus wide sampling and surveying to ensure any employee using respiratory equipment is physically qualified and properly trained.

Assured the Annex air-handling system renovations will provide air quality exceeding state and federal requirements and improve the indoor working environment.

Established a campus wide mercury thermometer recycling program, eliminating this pollution source from the standard waste stream.

Provided environmental awareness training to Physical Plant employees, affirming the significance of their work to building occupants and to the MCG environment.

Provided environmental design consideration training to Facilities Management and Facilities Planning staff to ensure environmental requirements are addressed during initial planning of all renovation and construction projects.

Provided mercury spill cleanup training to Environmental Services employees for their personal protection and that of the environment.

Is developing a chemical management program to ensure regulatory compliance and improve the quality of services provided to chemical users and handlers.

The Radiation Safety Office:
Implemented a Quality Management Program for Nuclear Medicine and the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center which has effectively reduced the number of misadministrations to zero.

Implemented a waste minimization program resulting in a 70 percent reduction in dry, radioactive waste. In turn, this resulted in a substantial cost saving.

Actively participated with Facilities Planning in designing the new Material Safety Storage Facility to be completed by June 1998. This facility will provide on-campus, secure storage of all chemical and radioactive waste, centralizing both storage and disposal of these hazardous materials.

Purchased a portal radiation monitor that will scan all biomedical waste leaving the campus to preclude inadvertently allowing radioactive medical waste to enter the public domain.

Consistently improves training presentations to all campus groups, incorporating state-of-the-art computer technology including use of the Internet. Further planned improvements include interactive multimedia programs to achieve campus wide efficient and effective training.

Is rewriting the Radiation Safety Guide to assure it represents current policies and becomes a useful document to facilitate safety and compliance with program requirements.

Installed a new database and tracking system to efficiently monitor and control the use of all radioactive material on campus.

Implemented extensive, regular personnel professional development training to enhance competency and issue awareness.

Established a rigorous project planning program to maximize effective use of resources.

Increased responsiveness to researcher requests particularly in regard to processing proposal applications and thoroughness of follow-up of any radiological health concerns.

Implemented strict control over research laboratory radiation surveys to assure personnel are adequately protected from contamination.

Extended dosimetry services to include the Georgia State Prison System consistent with the new contract agreements between MCG and the state.

Implemented decontamination and decommissioning planning of retired facilities used for the disposal or storage of radioactive material.

New Software for Radiation Safety Office
During the past year this office has been converting our radioactive inventory to a new software system. The new system, called the Health Physics Assistant (HPA), has many benefits to our office and to you as the end user. On July 11, we switched entirely to the HPA.

The HPA tracks all aspects of the Radiation Safety Program in a set of inter-relational databases. It can track authorized user inventory, institutional licensing inventory, waste, training, dosimetry, instrumentation, sealed sources, authorized laboratories and inspections. One feature includes calculating real time decay, freeing the user of this responsibility. We are still learning all of the capabilities now available to us. The HPA is supported by the producer who stays abreast of the changes in radiation safety and appropriately updates the program.

The HPA program management software is also used when this office receives radioactive material packages. The package check information is entered into the database and a disposal sheet is generated which includes the package check and other pertinent information. When approving radioactive orders, Purchasing Assistant Jackie Wilson has, at her fingertips, the capability to check current training, authorization limits (institutional and user), instrument calibration dates, lab authorization, authorized signature, authorized isotope and a comment section. The comment section would include information such as whether the Semi-Annual Renewal Proposals have been returned. The checks may be cumbersome at times but are all consistent in helping MCG comply with regulations. Ms. Wilson has become very efficient in her use of the HPA which helps make the added checks beneficial to all.

Reports generated by HPA may look different from what you have seen in the past, but they should be self explanatory. If you have any problems or questions concerning your reports, or any other Radiation Safety issue, please contact our office for assistance at ext. 1-9826.
By Risa Kitchens, Section Supervisor, Radiation Safety Office

Radiation All Around Us
Humans have been exposed to radiation from natural sources since the dawn of time. The sources include the ground we walk on, the air we breathe, the food we eat and the solar system. Everything in our world contains small amounts of radioactive material like Potassium 40, Radium 226 and Radon 222. These are either left over from the creation of the world (like Uranium and Radium) or made by interactions with cosmic radiation (like Carbon 14 and Tritium).

The Earth is constantly receiving cosmic radiation from outer space. These natural sources of radiation make up approximately 82 percent of the average annual dose to the U.S. public.

The following was developed by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP 93) and is a breakdown of the sources of radiation for the U.S. population. These numbers are averages and were obtained by estimating the total dose and dividing by the number of U.S. Residents

Annual Effective Dose Equivalent

Natural Radiation
Everyone by now has probably heard of radon. Radon comes from the decay of Uranium, a natural element. Uranium decays through a long chain of radionuclides that includes radon. Radon is a noble gas, not chemically active so, it migrates through porous materials like the ground and your house's foundation. The radon itself has a small chance of decay as you breathe it in and out. Most of our actual dose comes from the decay products of radon, sometimes called radon daughters or radon progeny. These radon progeny are particles, not gases, and can be deposited in your lungs as you breathe. There they have some chance of decaying before your body can get rid of them, resulting in a radioactive dose.
There are several other naturally occurring radioactive nuclides. Most notable are Carbon-14 (C-14) and Potassium 40 (K-40). They are made by cosmic ray interactions and eventually make their way into our food chain. Once ingested, they can decay and give us an internal dose. All living organic material has a constant ratio of C-14 to non-radioactive C-12. Once dead, the organic material stops taking in carbon. Therefore, by measuring that ratio of C-14 to C-12 found in organic archeological items, the appropriate time since death can be determined. This is what is known as carbon dating.
Here's just a sampling of radioactive materials and the many ways they improve lives.

Radiation in the home
There are some small sources of radiation in the home. Television sets accelerate electrons to make the picture on the screen, and produce a few low energy X-rays. Smoke detectors contain small sources. These sources emit radiation that is easily stopped even by smoke, and that way detect the presence of smoke. The sources of radiation around the home, not counting natural sources like radon, tend to make up a small fraction of the background dose.

Radiation in the work place
Persons in many occupations encounter radiation above normal background as a natural part of their jobs. Some of these professionals include doctors, nurses, radiographers, astronauts (recommended maximum annual occupational dose for an astronaut is 25,000 mrem!), dental hygienists, researchers, pharmacists, welders and airplane and jet crews. The doses received can be up to several rem of exposure over the course of a year.

Medical uses of radiation
Medical uses of radiation are roughly broken into therapy and diagnosis. Therapy is primarily used to kill cancerous tumors, but has been used for other treatments. Most of the dose is received in a small area of the body. Diagnosis runs from fairly routine X-rays to injections of radioactive material and imaging. These doses can be several hundred mrem for diagnosis and up to several hundred rem locally for treatments. The physician who prescribes radiation treatments and diagnosis weighs the risk of the radiation with the benefit of the treatment.

Who is in charge
Ultimately, we are. All of the sources of radiation, other than natural, are regulated by laws passed by Congress. Like any other law, we have our right to voice our views and opinions about it. The regulations that control the use of radioactivity in our country are based on recommendations of science organizations like the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the National Council on Radiation Protection, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations and the Health Physics Society.

Governing bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy and the Food and Drug Administration review these recommendations and propose the regulations that industry and government must follow. These are then passed by Congress, if found acceptable, and published in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Article extracted and modified from University of Michigan Homepage (http://www.sph.umich.edu/group/eih/UMSCHPS/radrus.htm) by Douglas L Watson, Deputy Radiation Safety Officer

Chemical Update
New occupational safety standards for 1,3-Butadiene and Methylene Chloride have been published which have resulted in the following changes:
1, 3-Butadiene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1051)
Reduction of permissible exposure limit (PEL) from 1000 parts per million (ppm) down to 1.0 ppm as an 8-hour time weighted average, established a maximum 15 minute exposure of 5 ppm, and established an action level of 0.5 ppm.

Requires initial and periodic exposure monitoring of all operations that use 1, 3-butadiene.

Requires establishing regulated areas of use.

Requires a written exposure goal program to reduce exposures.

Other issues addressed by the standard include respiratory protection, personal protective equipment, medical surveillance, emergency planning, hazard communication, MSDS, labeling, training and record-keeping.

1, 3-Butadiene is classified as a potent carcinogen. Epidemiological studies show exposed workers at increased risk for developing leukemia. Butadiene is primarily used to produce certain rubber products in the tire industry. Other uses include copolymer latex's for carpet backing and paper coating, and as an intermediate in fungicide production.

Methylene Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052)
Reduction in PEL from 500 ppm down to 25 ppm as an 8-hour time weighted average, established a maximum 15 minute exposure of 125 ppm, and established an action level of 12.5 ppm..

Requires initial and periodic exposure monitoring of all operations that use methylene chloride.

Requires establishing regulated areas of use.

Requires a written exposure goal program to reduce exposures.

Other issues addressed by the standard include respiratory protection, personal protective equipment, medical surveillance, emergency planning, hazard communication, MSDS, labels, training and record-keeping.

Most laboratory use of methylene chloride should occur in an operating chemical fume hood. Previously, methylene chloride exposure limits were based on preventing irritation and injury to the neurological system. The new exposure limits also address health issues associated with chronic exposure. Methylene chloride is now classified as a suspect, or probable human carcinogen. Also known as Dichloromethane, acute exposure causes confusion, headaches and nausea; prolonged exposure may cause unconsciousness and eventually death. Laboratory studies indicate that chronic exposure causes cancer.

For more information concerning these two chemicals, please call EHOS at ext. 1-2663.

Standing Ovations!
The following Principal Authorized Users are commended for returning their Semi-Annual Renewal Proposal before the July 28, 1997 deadline.

T.O. Abney, Ph.D.                            E.C. Abraham, Ph.D
Joseph Bailey, M.D.                         Scott Barman, Ph.D.
D.E. Bockman, Ph.D.                      Roni Bollag, Ph.D.
Wendy Bollag, Ph.D.                       Paul Bowen, M.D.
G.H. Brownell, Ph.D.                     Sergio Bustos, Ph.D.
Robert Caldwell, Ph.D.                 Ruth Caldwell, Ph.D.
Richard Cameron, Ph.D.              James Carroll, M.D.
Catherine Chew, Ph.D.                Daniel Dransfield, Ph.D.
Simon Conway, Ph.D.                  Lyle Fisher, M.D.
Brian Condie, Ph.D.                     James Goldenring, M.D.,Ph.D.
Keith Green, Ph.D.                      Keith Green, Ph.D.
Zinbin Chen, Ph.D.                      Sandra Helman, Ph.D.
David Hess, M.D.                        E.F. Howard, Ph.D.
W.B. Karp, Ph.D.                        Iqbal Khan, Ph.D.
M.L. Kirby, Ph.D.                       Ferdane Kutlar, Ph.D.
Kenneth Lanclos, Ph.D.             Carol Lapp, Ph.D.
Jill Lewis, Ph.D.                         Shuo Lin, Ph.D.
Gregory Liou, Ph.D.                  V.B. Mahesh, Ph.D.
Jason Mailhot, D.M.D.               T.M. Mills, Ph.D.
William Allsbrook, M.D.            Mahmood Mozaffari-Seyed, Ph.D.
Wanda Mundy, ED.D.                David Munn, Ph.D.
James O’Connor, Ph.D.             Thomas Ogle, Ph.D.
D.H. Pashley, D.M.D.                 S.P. Porterfield, Ph.D.
Howard Rasmussen, Ph.D.         James Ryan, M.D.
Patricia Schoelein, Ph.D.           George Schuster, D.D.S.
D.F. Scott, Ph.D.                        W.C. Sheils, M.D.
Sylvia Smith, Ph.D.                     Sidney Stein, D.M.D.
Terrance Stoming, Ph.D.            Richard Venema, Ph.D.
Gary Whitford, D.M.D.               Betty Wray, M.D.
R.W. Wrenn, Ph.D.                      Andrew Mellor, Ph.D.
Dimitrios Moskofidis, M.D.        Collen Brophy, M.D.
George Carl, Ph.D.                     Vasanti Deuskar, M.D.
Jerry Pruitt, II, M.D.                   Terry Joe Sprinkle, Ph.D.
David Stoppenhagen, M.D.        Michael Ujhelyi, Ph.D.

Thank you for your prompt and early response. We appreciate the diligence you and your staff exhibited.

By Jackie Wilson, Purchasing Assistant, Radiation Safety Office

Important Reminder from Radiation Safety
Quite a few Semi-Annual Renewal Proposals have not been returned. We request that all Principal Authorized users who have not returned their reports, please do so very soon. The deadline for returning completed Semi-Annual Renewal Proposals was July 28, 1997. Not returning the proposal could jeopardize your ability to order radioactive materials.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. We thank you for your support.

Available Chemicals
Exchange chemicals will be delivered to your lab upon request. Chemicals for contribution will be picked up on Wednesdays during the routine chemical waste collection.

To request chemicals listed below, or to contribute to the chemical exchange list, call EH&S, ext.1-2663.

Acetone 3 x 500 ml
Acetone 2 x 4 lt
Acetaldehyde 500 gr
Ammonium Acetate 6 x 500 gr
Acetic Acid 1 pt
Benzimidazole 225 gr
Calcium Carbonate 450 gr
Calcium Chloride 5 lb
Congo Red 75 gr
Ethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether 3 x 1 qt
Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether 1 qt
Fumaric Acid 1 kg
Gluconic Acid Lactone, D- 475 gr
Hydrochloric Acid 500 ml
Hydrochloric Acid 2 x 2.5 lt
Hydroxylamine Hydrochloride 6 x 100 gr
Malic Acid, DL- 1000 gr
Methionine, L- 1 kg
N,N-Dimethylacetamide 500 ml
Phenol 5 x 500 ml
Phenol Ultrapure 500 ml
Potassium Oxalate 3 oz
Potassium Permanganate 453 gr
Propanol, 2- 3 x 4 lt
Propionic Acid l 1t
Putrescine 100 gr
Sodium Hydrosulfite 4 x 500 gr
Sodium Phosphate Dibasic 500 gr
Sodium Phosphate Monobasic 500 gr
Sulfuric Acid 2 x 2.5 lt
Toluidine Blue O 25 gr
Trichloroacetic Acid 2 x 500 ml

Exchange chemicals will be delivered to your lab upon request.  Chemicals for contributions will be picked up on Wednesdays during the routine chemical waste collection

Director:  James S. Davis, Ph.D.
Editor: Dolly Hobbs
Charles Lamke, M.S.  EHOS & Biosafety
William Stephany, Ph.D.: Radiation Safety

Biological Safety  | Chemical Safety | EHOS | Fire Safety  | Radiation Safety | EH&S Training

Environmental Health and Safety | Medical College of Georgia
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January 05, 2007