Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Medically used radionuclides in sewage sludge

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concentration of medically used radionuclides has been studied in sludge from the sewage treatment plant serving the borough of Malmo. In this area all nuclear medicine procedures are carried out in one hospital and almost all patients live in the borough. Therefore, the input of medically used radionuclides into the sewage system can be estimated with good accuracy. Samples of digested sludge have been taken once or twice a week during half a year.

Iodine-131 (physical half life (T) = R.05 d) was detected in all samples. The 131I-activity concentration due to medical use varied between (0.03±0.01) and (0.12±0.02) nCi kg−1. The ratio between the total output of 131I via the sludge and an adherent input of the radionuclide into the sewage system was determined to (2.6 ± 0.6) × 10−3, which is equivalent to a ratio of (2 ± 1) × 10−2 for stable I.

Occasionally measurable activities of 198Au (T=2.7 d) and 201T1(T=3.l d) have been found.

The radioactivity concentration of medically used radionuclides in the sludge is low and constitutes no health problems for the persons involved. The sludge however has proved to be a very sensitive and suitable integrator of radioactive material released from a large urban area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • DeGeer, L-E.: 1976, Private communication. The Research Institute of National Defence, Sundyberg, Sweden.

  • Erlandsson, B. and Mattsson, S.: 1978, to be published.

  • Finck, R., Liden, K., and Persson, R. B. R.: 1977, Paper presented at the IRPA IV Int. Congress, Paris, 24–30 April, 1977.

  • International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements: 1972, Measurement of Low-Level Radioactivity, Report 22, ICRU, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

  • Moss, C. E.: 1973, Health Phys. 25, 197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sodd, V. J., Velten, R. J., and Saenger, E. L.: 1975, Health Phys. 28, 355.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. B. Erlandsson

    Present address: Department of Nuclear Physics, University of Lund and Lund Institute of Technology, S-223 62, Lund, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical Department, Personnel Health Care, City of Malmö, S-220 02, Calmö, Sweden

    B. Erlandsson & S. Mattsson

  2. Department of Radiation Physics, Malmö General Hospital, S-214 01, Malmö, Sweden

    B. Erlandsson & S. Mattsson

Authors
  1. B. Erlandsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Mattsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Erlandsson, B., Mattsson, S. Medically used radionuclides in sewage sludge. Water Air Soil Pollut 9, 199–206 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280706

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280706

Keywords

Search

Navigation