Waste

Radioactive waste is generated by both the medical and research uses of radioactive material within the University and affiliated UPMC hospitals. These materials are ultimately collected by the Radiation Safety Office and processed for disposal in accordance with the applicable federal and state regulations.

Specific guidelines have been developed for the proper packaging and labeling of radioactive waste to facilitate safe and efficient processing and disposal. Any questions regarding the proper methods for packaging, segregation, storage, and disposal should be directed to the Radiation Safety Office.

General Requirements

Certain requirements need to be met when radioactive waste is generated from medical and research purposes. See the list of conditions required to store, discard and properly work with radioactive materials and waste.

Isotope Research Waste

Specific instructions need to be followed when handling isotope research waste. See specific directions on how to handle dry solid waste, sharps, lead metal and more.

Medical Waste

Read proper disposal methods of medical radioactive waste generated by nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, and PET, including contaminated materials and syringes generated from Nuclear Medicine procedures

Labeling Radioactive Waste

All wastes consigned to the Radiation Safety Office for disposal must be labeled with a radioactive waste tag. Learn how to properly tag a container of radioactive waste.

Waste Collection

See a list of locations where radioactive waste materials are collected.

Sink Disposal

Learn about the permissible limit of disposal of radioactive liquid wastes that are fully soluble or biologically dispersible in water . Some liquid radioative waste may be discharged directly into the sanitary sewer system via a designated radiation sink drain.

Waste Containers

For the temporary storage of radioactive waste in the laboratory, we recommend a step-on type container for hands-off use.