Radioactive Waste Management in a Medical Cyclotron Facility - A Review

Abstract

The cyclotron is a device used to create radioactive atoms with a short half-life (radioactive isotopes) that can be utilised for research and medical imaging. When nuclear and radiation facilities are utilized, serviced, or decommissioned, radioactive waste is produced. The amount of radioactive waste produced is greatly decreased by good operating procedures. Iodine-123, Technetium-99m, Iodine-131, Gallium-67 Thallium-201 and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose are among the radionuclides utilised in medicine. The most widely used gaseous/aerosol radionuclides are (aerosolized) technetium-99m, xenon-133, and krypton-81m. The use of radionuclides (radioactive element) for industrial process control and instrumentation, medical diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, as well as numerous uses in research, education, agriculture, geological exploration, construction, and other human endeavors, results in radioactive waste. These applications generate a variety of radioactive waste, which can come from sealed sources and be in solid, liquid, or gaseous form. If the trash containing considerable amounts of radionuclides is not handled properly, there may be serious concerns to both the environment and human health. Due to the wide variety of waste kinds addressed, special consideration must be paid to safety concerns and regulatory management. This article will examine the fundamental procedures for managing radioactive waste in compliance with the regulatory agencies like AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).