UMB Initial Radiation Safety Training (RST)
1. Which of the following must be posted in a Radioactive Material lab:
Answer:
Notice to Employees
Radiation Emergency Procedures
Caution Radioactive Material sign
All of the above
2. A contamination survey (quantitative) must be performed:
Answer:
During each month radioactive material is present (in use or storage) in the lab
After every use of 1 mCi or more of P-32
Following a spill
All of the above
3. The Chart of the Nuclides:
Answer:
Lists nuclides by number of protons and neutrons
Can be used to see the line of stability for the isotopes
Can be used to determine what decay modes and products are likely for a given nuclide.
All of the above
4. What should you always do with used radioactive needles?
Answer:
Recap the needle
Dispose of the needle in a radioactive waste box
Dispose of the needle in a radioactive sharps container
None of the above
5. A sewer disposal permit authorizes the disposal of the following via the sanitary sewer:
Answer:
Hazardous materials
Alpha emitters
Any isotope and quantity
Only the isotopes and quantities specified on the sewer permit
6. Radioactive material must be secured against unauthorized access or removal:
Answer:
Only when an authorized person is handling the material
Any time the material is in storage, or not under the direct control of an authorized person
When the level of radioactivity is less than 1 mCi
None of the above
7. When first using a radiation detection instrument, you should:
Answer:
Familiarize yourself with the instruments operation
Check the detector response to radiation using a known source of radiation
Perform a battery check and check instrument calibration
All of the above
8. Before sending in a request to have radioactive animal waste removed from your laboratory, you should:
Answer:
Double bag the animal carcass and place it into a freezer
Label the bag with isotope, activity, date, and authorized user name
Call EHS for assistance if you have questions
All of the above
9. What do you need to do to become a declared pregnant worker?
Answer:
You just need to be a registered radiation worker
You need to declare in writing to the RSO that you are pregnant
Tell you supervisor and have him/her notify the RSO
All of the above
10. The Rem is:
Answer:
The unit of dose equivalent that is equal to the dose in rad times the quality factor
A unit of exposure to x or gamma radiation based on the ionizations that these radiations produce in air
A unit of absorbed dose for any ionizing radiation that is equal to 100 ergs of absorbed energy per gram of substance
None of the above
11. Which radiation is the least penetrating:
Answer:
Alpha
Beta
Gamma
X-ray
12. Which of the following is NOT a type of detector:
Answer:
Ion chamber
G-M counter
NaI
HVL
13. If not properly calibrated, a liquid scintillation counter (LSC) will usually report results in:
Answer:
Disintegrations per minute (dpm)
Counts per minute (cpm)
Millicuries (mCi)
None of the above
14. Where should you store your dosimeter?
Answer:
On the window ledge away from radiation
In an area free of excessive heat, and moisture
Inside the radioactive material lab on the workbench
None of the above
15. Before discarding the isotope-shipping box into regular trash, an individual should:
Answer:
Remove all radiation labels
Obliterate the words Caution, Radioactive Materials from the box
Both a. and b.
No extra precautions are needed; the box can be disposed of as is
16. The radioactive waste log sheet needs to be filled out:
Answer:
Only after the container is full and going to be disposed of
As soon as the first radioactive material goes into the container and every addition of radioactive waste thereafter
Never needs to be filled out
All the above
17. The maximum range of a beta particle in air is determined by:
Answer:
The activity of the isotope
The half-life of the radioactive atom
The energy of the beta particle
All of the above
18. The calibration date of the survey meter can be located on:
Answer:
The calibration sticker present on the meter
The calibration certificate that accompanies the meter upon calibration
None of the above
Both a. and b.
19. Dose Equivalent (DE), Effective Dose Equivalent (EDE), Committed Dose Equivalent (CDE), Committed Effective Dose Equivalent (CEDE), and Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE) are expressed in units of:
Answer:
Grays (Gy) and Sieverts (Sv)
Roentgen or ergs
Rads and coulombs
Sieverts (Sv) or REM
20. The millicurie is a:
Answer:
Unit of radioactivity that equals 1 disintegration per second
Unit of radioactivity that equals 2.22E6 disintegrations per minute
Unit of radioactivity that equals 1 disintegration per minute
Unit of radioactivity that equals 2.22E9 disintegrations per minute
21. You can send your radioactive waste removal request form to EHS by:
Answer:
Web site http://www.ehs.umaryland.edu/waste/forms/radwasteform.cfm
Fax to the EHS office at 6-8212
Campus Mail to the HWD in EHS building at 714 West Lombard Street
All of the above
22. The Radiation Safety Office must be contacted in the following situations:
Answer:
Prior to ordering radioactive material from a vendor
Prior to transferring radioactive material to another authorized user and/or receiving radioactive material from an authorized user
Prior to any changes involving authorization (i.e. rooms used, protocols)
All of the above
23. The Hazardous Waste Division of EHS:
Answer:
Charges for all radioactive waste to be removed from your laboratory
Will not provide laboratories with any radioactive waste containers
Will not remove radioactive waste directly from the laboratory
Requests that Authorized Users utilize non-hazardous scintillation cocktails in their research
24. The annual whole body dose limit for a member of the public at large is:
Answer:
0.1 rem
0.3 rem
5.0 rem
50 rem.
25. Photons (e.g., gamma and x-rays) can interact directly with matter by:
Answer:
The photoelectric effect
Compton scattering
Pair production
All of the above
26. Eating, smoking, drinking, or the storage of food, beverages, and tobacco in radioactive materials areas is prohibited because:
Answer:
Laboratory cleanliness is easier to maintain
Radiation protection organizations enjoy making people uncomfortable
The radiation causes food to spoil rapidly
It reduces the possibility of internal contamination
27. When you want to have a dry radioactive waste box removed from your laboratory, you should:
Answer:
Tape and close your container
Completely fill out the radioactive waste removal request form
Make sure the total activity, nuclide, assay date, and chemical identification is filled out on the Caution - Radioactive Material label
All of the above
28. All radioactive waste containers should be labeled with:
Answer:
The isotope and activity
The chemical composition of liquids if the waste container is for liquid radioactive or scintillation vial waste
The date that the isotope and activity were assayed
All of the above
29. How long should radioactive materials users keep dosimetry exposure reports on file?
Answer:
10 years
5 years
2 years
1 year
30. When estimating the activity of radioactive waste you should:
Answer:
Estimate the activity as close as possible to the actual activity of the waste in the container, while still assuring that you did not underestimate
Estimate the activity way below the actual activity
Give every container 100uCi activity
None of the above
31. To prevent the spread of contamination after a minor spill, a person should immediately:
Answer:
Take off their lab coat and gloves
Exit the area and call Radiation Safety for assistance
Cover the spill with absorbent material
Wash the bench top after working and before conducting a contamination check
32. The purpose of the UMB Radiation Safety Program is to:
Answer:
Burden the user with excessive regulations
Encourage the use of radioactive material in clinical and research activities
Maintain exposures of personnel to ionizing radiation from radioactive materials and radiation producing devices as low as reasonably achievable
All of the above
33. A wipe sample of your radioactive work area measures 100 cps (counts per sec) above background on your portable GM survey meter. If the efficiency of the detector for the nuclide of interest is 5%, how much activity (in dpm) is really present?
Answer:
200 dpm
20000 dpm
1200 dpm
120000 dpm
34. As you are transferring the stock solution containing 0.1 Curies of P-32 labeled proteins, you accidentally tip its contents onto your lab coat, shoes, and the floor. Good radiation protection practice dictates that you would:
Answer:
Inform the other people in the room that you have spilled the radioactive material
Absorb the spilled solution with paper towels, while someone in the room calls the Radiation Safety Office
Remove all contaminated clothing, placing them into plastic bags and have someone assist you in surveying the area to determine the extent of the contamination
All of the above
35. Dry solid waste can contain:
Answer:
Syringes
Surgical instruments
Gloves
Organic liquids
36. Ion chambers are useful for:
Answer:
Detecting contamination on a given surface
Locating a missing gamma emitting source
Determining exposure risks from unknown sources
None of the above
37. A charged particle (beta or alpha) can interact directly with matter by:
Answer:
Ionization and excitation
Compton scattering
Pair production
The photoelectric effect
38. When should dosimeters be returned to the Radiation Safety Office?
Answer:
Before the end of the year
The next time you have to go to the Radiation Safety office
The first day of the next wear period
Within 15 days after receiving your new dosimeters
39. The half life of P-32 is approximately 14 days, if you start with 1000 uCi, after 28 days how much P-32 would remain?
Answer:
1000 uCi
500 uCi
250 uCi
None
40. What is the average annual background exposure to a non-smoking individual living in the United States:
Answer:
125.0 millirem
0.125 rem
125.0 curies
360.0 mrem
41. If you have a source of radiation which emits ONLY high energy beta radiation e.g. P-32, what is the most appropriate shielding material to use:
Answer:
A container of iron or lead
A container of Plexiglas
A container of thin leaded glass
A container of lead inside a container of Plexiglas
42. Monitoring for radioactive contamination while handling radioactive material during an experiment:
Answer:
Need only be done at the end of the experiment
Must be fully documented each time there is a negative result found
Should be done frequently to determine if contamination is present
All of the above
43. The first steps in ordering radioactive material are to:
Answer:
Call vendor and order product
Ensure that isotope is listed on authorization and that possession limits are not exceeded
Obtain a control number from the Radiation Safety Office
Both b. and c.
44. Two foot cubic boxes should only be used for:
Answer:
Liquid waste
Dry solid waste
Both a. and b.
None of the above
45. The annual extremity dose limit for radiation workers in the Maryland regulations is:
Answer:
5 rem
7.5 rem
12 rem
50 rem
46. During a survey with a GM detector, the probe should be held:
Answer:
At least 6 inches away from the surface while it is rapidly passed back and forth
At contact with the surface while moving slowly
Near contact with the surface while moving slowly
None of the above
47. The most radiosensitive mammalian organs are:
Answer:
Blood forming organs
Digestive organs
Nerve cells
Calcified bone
48. The primary difference between gamma rays and x-rays is:
Answer:
Gamma rays are higher in energy
Gamma rays originate in the nucleus, X-rays originate in the electron shells
X-rays are used in medical applications
X-rays originate in the nucleus, gamma rays originate in the electron shells
49. When deciding which liquid scintillation cocktail to use, you should:
Answer:
Use any hazardous or non-hazardous liquid scintillation cocktail
Preferably use only non-EPA regulated cocktail
Check with EHS to ensure your choice of liquid scintillation cocktails is not regulated
Both b. and c
50. When do you need to take precautions for possible external exposure?
Answer:
When working with a low energy beta emitter like C-14
When working with a gamma emitter like Cr-51
When working with a high energy beta emitter like P-32
Both b. and c.
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