[Histonet] Re: Carbon 14

[Bob Richmond]

Jim Staruk asks: >>Does anyone have any experience with tissue
injected with carbon 14? I have some questions about precautions and
disposal.<<

Natural carbon derived from atmospheric carbon (like the tissues of
plants and animals) contains some natural carbon 14, formed in the
upper atmosphere by cosmic-ray irradiation of nitrogen 14. So when you
incinerate carbon 14 labeled material, you're adding some more carbon
14 to a smokestack that's already emitting some anyway. The isotope
has a half-life of around 5,700 years, undergoing beta decay whose
product is nitrogen 14.

To put some numbers on that: when carbon 14 labeled glucose was used
in clinical blood culture bottles, it was estimated that incinerating
the bottles would roughly double a hospital incinerator's smokestack
emissions of the isotope, an amount that was considered safe by
regulators.

As René Buesa suggests, I'd certainly check with a radiation safety
officer (if you can find one), but I think you can probably incinerate
this material. I have no idea if you can landfill it or not.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN