| Is lead dust within nuclear medicine departments a hazard to pediatric patients? | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19692455 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Because of the penetrating ability of the radiation used in nuclear medicine, metallic lead is widely used as radiation shielding. However, this shielding may present an insidious health hazard because of the dust that is readily removed from the surfaces of lead objects. The lead dust may become airborne, contaminate floors and other nearby surfaces, and be inadvertently inhaled or ingested by patients. We determined if the quantity of lead dust encountered within nuclear medicine departments exceeded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. METHODS: For lead dust quantification, professional lead test kits were used to sample fifteen 1-ft(2) sections of different surfaces within the department. Four samples were collected once per week from each site. The samples were then submitted to a National Lead Laboratory-accredited program for a total lead measurement. Lead contamination (mug/ft(2)) for each of the 60 samples was compared with the EPA standards for lead dust. RESULTS: Lead contamination was present at 6 of the 15 sites, and of 60 samples, 18 exceeded the EPA standard of 50 mug/ft(2). CONCLUSION: Lead contamination is present within nuclear medicine departments, and corrective measures should be considered when dealing with pediatric patients. A larger series needs to be conducted to confirm these findings. |
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Authors:
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Shannon M Hulbert; Katherine A Carlson |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2009-08-19 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Journal of nuclear medicine technology Volume: 37 ISSN: 0091-4916 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2009 Sep |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2009-09-03 Completed Date: 2009-10-28 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0430303 Medline TA: J Nucl Med Technol Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 170-2 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Nuclear Medicine Technology Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. shulbert@iupui.edu |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Air Pollutants
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analysis*,
toxicity* Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis* Child Dust / analysis* Environmental Monitoring Humans Indiana Lead / analysis* Lead Poisoning / etiology*, prevention & control Nuclear Medicine / statistics & numerical data* Risk Assessment / methods Risk Factors |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Air Pollutants; 0/Dust; 7439-92-1/Lead |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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