Excerpt

This project, in the National Research Council’s Board on Radiation Effects Research, evaluates the impact of the current policy related to low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) management on biomedical research, particularly in universities and medical centers. The objective of this project is to assess the effects of factors such as higher disposal costs and onsite storage on the current and future activities of biomedical research, including the effects of lack of access to disposal facilities on institutions that conduct biomedical research and on hospitals where radionuclides are crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON THE IMPACT OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY ON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES
• BOARD ON RADIATION EFFECTS RESEARCH
• COMMISSION ON LIFE SCIENCES
• PREFACE
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • BACKGROUND OF THIS REPORT
  • BACKGROUND TO LLRW-MANAGEMENT POLICY
• 2. CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE
• 3. CHALLENGES TO THE BIOMEDICAL INVESTIGATOR
  • REGULATION
  • DISPOSAL COST
  • ACCESS TO DISPOSAL
• 4. ADAPTATIONS AND WASTE MINIMIZATIONS
  • OVERVIEW
  • IMPROVED MANAGEMENT
  • STORAGE PRACTICES
  • TREATMENT PRACTICES
  • LLRW DISPOSAL PRACTICES
  • MINIMIZING THE USE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
  • USE OF NONRADIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
• 5. CONCLUSIONS
• 6. RECOMMENDATIONS
• APPENDIX A Cost Trade off Analysis
• REFERENCES
• GLOSSARY
• COMMITTEE BIOGRAPHIES

This report was prepared under DHHS Contract No. N01-OD-4-2139 Task Order 11 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the Committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.