Radioisotope properties and precautions
Select the radioisotope
ALI = Annual Limit of Intake
EQ = Exemption Quantity
For more information on other radioisotopes go to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) website.
| Ca-45 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Low to medium |
| Half life |
163 days |
| Emission |
Moderate Energy Beta (0.257 MeV) |
| Range in air |
52 cm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Bone |
| Precautions |
Gloves, Lab coat, Aerosol control, Contamination control |
| Shielding |
3 mm, plexiglas (lucite shield) |
| Monitor |
beta-probe, wipes counted by liquid scintillation counter |
| ALI |
30 (ingestion) and 9 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
1 MBq |
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| C-14 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Low to medium |
| Half life |
5730 years |
| Emission |
Moderate Energy Beta (0.156 MeV) |
| Range in air |
24 cm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Fatty tissue |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, aerosol control, contamination control |
| Shielding |
3 mm, plexiglas (lucite shield) |
| Monitor |
beta-counter, & wipes counted by liquid scintillation counter |
| ALI |
34 (ingestion) and 3000 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
100 MBq |
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| Cr-51 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
28 days |
| Emission |
Gamma (0.320 MeV), X-ray (E 0.752 MeV) |
| Range in air |
Calculate |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Large intestine |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, lead shield, aerosol control, contamination control, dosimeter |
| Shielding |
7 mm, lead |
| Monitor |
gamma & X-ray probe, wipes counted by gamma counter |
| ALI |
530 (ingestion) and 600 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
1 MBq |
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| Co-57 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
271 days |
| Emission |
Gamma (0.014 - 0.692 MeV), X-ray (0.006 MeV) |
| Range in air |
Calculate |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Large intestine |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, lead shield, aerosol control, contamination control, dosimeter |
| Shielding |
3.2 mm, lead |
| Monitor |
gamma & X-ray probe, wipes counted by gamma counter |
| ALI |
95 (ingestion) and 30 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
100 kBq |
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| H-3 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Low |
| Half life |
12 years |
| Emission |
Low Energy Beta (0.019 MeV) |
| Range in air |
6 mm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Body fluids |
| Precautions |
Gloves, Lab coat, Aerosol control, Contamination control |
| Shielding |
None |
| Monitor |
Wipes counted by liquid scintillation counter |
| ALI |
1000 (ingestion and inhalation) |
| EQ |
1000 MBq |
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| I-125 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Moderate |
| Half life |
60 days |
| Emission |
Gamma (0.035 Mev), X-ray (0.027 - 0.032 MeV) |
| Range in air |
Calculate |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Thyroid gland |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, lead Shield, aerosol control, contamination control, dosimeters. NB: If 50 MBq (9.35mCi) or more are used then thyroid monitoring must be done within 5 days of manipulation. Contact RSO at local 1538. |
| Shielding |
0.25 mm, lead |
| Monitor |
gamma & X-ray probe, wipes counted by gamma counter |
| ALI |
1 (ingestion and inhalation) |
| EQ |
1 MBq |
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| I-131 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
8.04 days |
| Emission |
Beta (0.247-0.606 Mev), X-ray (0.030 MeV) & Gamma (0.030-0.723 MeV) |
| Range in air |
165 cm (for beta component) |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Thyroid gland |
| Precautions |
Gloves, Lab coat, Lead Shield, Aerosol control, Contamination control, Dosimeter |
| Shielding |
7 mm, lead |
| Monitor |
beta, gamma & X-ray -probe, wipes counted by liquid scintillation or gamma counter |
| ALI |
1 (ingestion and inhalation) |
| EQ |
10 kBq |
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| P-32 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
14 days |
| Emission |
High Energy Beta (1.71 MeV) |
| Range in air |
720 cm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Bone |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, plexiglass shield; Aerosol control; Contamination control; Dosimeters (whole body and/or extremity)
NB: If 50 MBq (1.35 mCi) or more are used, then a ring dosimeter must be worn with the whole-body dosimeter. |
| Shielding |
2.5 cm, plexiglas (lucite shield) |
| Monitor |
beta-counter, wipes counted by liquid scintillation counter |
| ALI |
8 (ingestion) and 7 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
10 kBq |
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| P-33 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
25.4 days |
| Emission |
Moderate Energy Beta (0.249 MeV) |
| Range in air |
46 cm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Bone |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, aerosol control, contamination control |
| Shielding |
3 mm, plexiglas (lucite shield) |
| Monitor |
beta-counter, wipes counted by liquid scintillation counter |
| ALI |
80 (ingestion) and 20 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
1 MBq |
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| Na-22 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
2.6 years |
| Emission |
Positron (0.546 MeV) |
| Range in air |
142 cm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Whole body |
| Precautions |
Gloves, Lab coat, Lead Shield, Aerosol control, Contamination control, Dosimeter |
| Shielding |
7 mm, lead |
| Monitor |
beta-probe, wipes counted by liquid scintillation or gamma counter |
| ALI |
6 (ingestion) and 10 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
10 kBq |
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| S-35 - Properties and Precautions |
| Radiotoxicity |
Medium to low |
| Half life |
87 days |
| Emission |
Moderate Energy Beta (0.167 MeV) |
| Range in air |
30 cm |
| Critical organs/tissue |
Testis |
| Precautions |
Gloves, lab coat, aerosol control, contamination control |
| Shielding |
3 mm, plexiglas (lucite shield) |
| Monitor |
beta-counter, wipes counted by liquid scintillation counter |
| ALI |
26 (ingestion) and 200 (inhalation) |
| EQ |
100 MBq |
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