Safety and Waste Management for SAM Radiochemical Methods
It is imperative that safety precautions be used during collection, processing and analysis of environmental and outdoor building and infrastructure material samples. Laboratories should have a documented radiation safety plan or manual in addition to a health and safety plan for handling samples that may contain target chemical, biological and/or radiological (CBR) contaminants, and laboratory staff should be trained in and implement the safety procedures in the plan or manual. In addition, many of the methods contain specific requirements, guidelines or information regarding safety precautions that should be followed when handling or processing samples and reagents. These methods may also provide information regarding waste management. Laboratories should consult with the responsible government agencies prior to disposal of waste materials.
Other resources that can be consulted for additional information include the following:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - 29 CFR part 1910.1450. Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories.
- EPA - 40 CFR part 260. Hazardous Waste Management System: General.
- EPA - 40 CFR part 270. EPA Administered Permit Programs: The Hazardous Waste Permit Program.
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - 10 CFR part 20. Standards for Protection Against Radiation.
- DOE. Order O 435.1: Radioactive Waste Management. January 1, 2007.
- DOE. M 435.1-1. Radioactive Waste Management Manual. Office of Environmental Management. June 8, 2011.
- DOE. Compendium of EPA-Approved Analytical Methods for Measuring Radionuclides in Drinking Water. Prepared by the Office of Environmental Policy and Assistance Air, Water and Radiation Division (EH-412). June 1998.
- EPA. 1996. Profile and Management Options for EPA Laboratory Generated Mixed Waste. ORIA, Washington, DC. EPA 402-R-96-015.
- EPA. 2001. Changes to 40 CFR 266 (Storage, Treatment, Transportation, and Disposal of Mixed Waste), Federal Register 66:27217-27266, May 16, 2001.
- EPA. 2014. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Orientation Manual. Office Of Resource Conservation And Recovery (ORCR), Washington, DC. EPA530-F-11-003. 242 pp.
- MARLAP Manual. 2004. Chapter 17. Waste Management in a Radioanalytical Laboratory. EPA 402-B-04-001B.
- National Research Council. 1995. Prudent Practices in the Laboratory; Handling and Disposal of Chemicals, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). 2002. Risk-Based Classification of Radioactive and Hazardous Chemical Wastes, Report Number 139. 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 400, Bethesda, MD 20814–3095
- NRC / EPA. 1995. Joint Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Environmental Protection Agency Guidance on the Storage of Mixed Radioactive and Hazardous Waste. Federal Register 60:40204-40211