Assessment and Inspection Management System
Manage lab safety inspections, personal protective equipment (PPE) assessments, and radiation-related materials and activities
Radiation Waste
Summary
How to prepare, store, and dispose of radiation waste.
Who is this for?
Lab and research staff.
Managing radiation waste
Avoid disposing of non-radioactive materials as radiation waste.
Consult EHS before generating liquid radioactive waste with organics or hazardous chemicals.
EHS provides radiation waste disposal bags. Do not put any radioactive materials or potentially contaminated items into regular trash containers or wastebaskets.
Do not use sink disposal as the primary way you dispose of radioactive waste or radionuclides.
1. Prepare waste
To prepare radiation waste for disposal:
- Survey the waste for contamination.
- Record the date, activity, and isotope on the radioactive materials use and disposal log.
- Deface radioactive material symbols, labels, or markings. Tear off, scratch out, or cover labels with a marker so no one can identify them.
2. Pack waste
Use a separate container and tag to segregate waste by both:
- Radionuclide (you can store 3H and 14C together).
- Physical characteristics, such as solid waste, absorbed liquids, scintillation vials, and sharps.
Independently segregate and tag waste containers and bags with biological or chemical hazards.
Liquid radioactive waste with organics or hazardous chemicals
- Place the liquid in an unbreakable, non-absorbent container that is appropriate for the material.
- Store flammable liquid radioactive waste in a flammable materials storage cabinet.
- Consult EHS for disposal instructions.
Scintillation vials
- Segregate vials by radionuclide (you can store 3H and 14C in one bag).
- Segregate vials that contain only 3H and 14C and have an activity less than 0.05 μCi/mL (less than about 100,000 disintegrations per minute).
- Tightly cap all vials and pack them in vial-boxes or double bag them in 4 mil plastic bags with up to 200 full-sized or 400 mini-vials in each container.
- Use tape or the completed radiation waste tag to close the bag. Write the brand name of the scintillation fluid.
Other liquid radioactive waste
- Absorb nonflammable and pH-neutral (5.5 to 9.5 pH) aqueous radioactive waste that does not contain hazardous chemicals in liquid-absorbent containers provided by EHS.
- Ensure there is no liquid pooling or collected at the bottom of the container.
- Place the container into a sealed transparent plastic bag.
Pack waste separately for pickup by EHS.
- Independently segregate and tag waste containers and bags with metal or sharps, including needles and broken glass.
- Place all sharps (regardless of isotype) in a biosafety-approved sharps container individually packaged in a transparent plastic bag.
Pack all solid waste (except animal waste and iodine) in clear 4 mil plastic bags and seal the bags.
Animal waste
Place animal waste into 4 mil black plastic bags and seal the bags.
Iodine
Place waste in two individually sealed 4 mil clear plastic bags and seal the bags.
3. Tag waste
Attach a completed radiation waste tag to the bag or container.
Complete all the required tag fields to ensure waste technicians can quickly identify your waste.
- Filled out by: Name of the person preparing waste for pickup (optional).
- Person billed: Name of the person billed for waste disposal fees (optional).
- P.O. number: Number of the purchase order (optional).
- Permittee: Name of the permit holder (required).
- Radionuclide: Radioactive isotope name, such as 32P or 3H (required).
- Activity (microcuries): Estimated total activity in microcuries (required).
- Date: Date you completed the waste tag (required).
- Chemical name: List any chemical or hazardous components, such as toluene, xylene, or methanol (required if applicable).
- Bldg/Dept: Building and department names (required).
- Room: Room number where you generated the waste (required).
4. Store waste
- Store tagged waste containers that are ready for pickup in tight containers away from work areas and normal trash.
- Affix radioactive materials signs and signs with the words "Do Not Empty" in multiple languages to the container.
- If possible, use additional shielding around or as part of the container design to reduce exposure risks. For example, use shielding with Lucite for beta emitters and lead for gamma emitters.
5. Request a waste pickup
Use the Assessment and Inspection Management System (AIMS) to submit a radiation waste pickup request to EHS.
Follow the Radiation AIMS User Guide.
Related resources
Find documents and online tools to manage radiation waste.
Laser Transfer and Disposal Form
Form to transfer or dispose of a laser or laser device
Laser Transfer and Disposal Requirements
How to transfer or dispose of lasers and laser devices
Radiation Assessment and Inspection Management System User Guide
Use the Assessment and Inspection Management System (AIMS) to apply radioactive use permits and manage radioactive permits, inventories, purchases, and waste pickups
Radiation Safety Manual
Safety policies and procedures for radiation, radioactive materials, and radiation generating devices
Radioactive Materials Use and Disposal Log Form
Form to document radioactive material use and disposal
Radionuclide Sink Disposal Log Form
Form to document pouring waste with radionuclides into a sink drain
Sink Disposal
Dispose of waste by pouring it into sinks and drains
Sink Disposal and Wastewater Discharge Poster
Printable poster about wastewater discharge and sink disposal requirements
EHS support
Contact radiation_safety@harvard.edu for more information about radiation waste preparation, storage, and disposal, including:
- Laser disposal.
- Liquid scintillation cocktails.