Radioactive Waste Management in a Hospital

Abstract

Hospital wastes are the waste produced in the course of health care activities during treatment, diagnose, and immunize human being or animals, or while doing activities such as study, research activities etc. About 75–90% waste produces are non-hazardous and rest includes general waste  hazardous that accounts 10–15%. Most of the tertiary care hospitals use radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Radioactive waste containing radioactive substances e.g. unused liquid form radiotherapy or laboratory research; contaminated glass wire, packages, or porous paper; urine and excreta from patient preserved or tested with unstopped radionuclide have closed sources etc. Safe disposal of the radioactive waste is a vital component of the overall management of the hospital waste. An important objective in radioactive waste management is to ensure that the radiation exposure to an individual (Public, Radiation worker, Patient) and the environment does not exceed the prescribed safe limits. Any potential plan of a hospital that means using radioisotopes for indicative and therapeutic events needs to have enough infrastructural and manpower capitals to keep its ambient energy levels within specified safe limits. Regular monitoring of hospital area and radiation workers is mandatory to assess the quality of radiation safety.