UMB Initial Radiation Safety Training (RST)
1. 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
2. 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
3. Which of the following are true statements:
Answer:
The only isotopes that can be commingled into the same waste container without approval from EHS are C-14 and H-3
Animals injected with radioactive materials are not regulated for their radioactive properties
All scintillation cocktails are non-hazardous
Once the original source vials are emptied of the radioactive materials they can be disposed in the regular trash
4. Delayed effects of radiation exposure include:
Answer:
Tissue effects
Life span shortening
Carcinogenesis
All of the above
5. A sample of Phosphorus-32 has an initial activity of 10 mCi. How much radioactive material is left after 42 days later (P-32 half-life = 14.28 days):
Answer:
0.625 mCi
1.300 mCi
2.500 mCi
5.000 mCi
6. Written notification must be provided to the Radiation Safety Office:
Answer:
When an authorized user leaves the University
When an additional room is needed for radioactive material work
When vacating a room where radioactive material was used
All of the above
7. Occupational exposure to radiation is limited to 5 REM for the whole body and 50 REM for the extremities. Upon diagnosis of a brain tumor, your doctor recommends the use of the gamma knife for treatment. Your medical treatment will be limited to:
Answer:
50.0 REM because the head is an extremity
5.0 REM because the head is part of the whole body
No limit because it is a medical procedure
100 REM because it is a medical procedure
8. 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
9. All of the following should be worn to prevent absorption of radioactive material through the skin except?
Answer:
A lab coat
Protective eye wear
Sandal with no socks
Gloves
10. 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
11. Who is responsible for ensuring that radioactive materials are used safely at the University of Maryland Baltimore?
Answer:
The Radiation Safety Officer
The Authorized User
The Radiation Worker
All of the above
12. 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
13. A strand break in the DNA, resulting from the chemical reaction of free radicals attacking a DNA sugar, is an example of what kind of radiation induced biological effect:
Answer:
Unidirectional
Direct
Indirect
None of the above
14. The Caution - Radioactive Material label on each waste container should be used to annotate only the total activity of each nuclide and final assay date of the radioactive waste in the container. What should be used to keep a running total?
Answer:
Anything you can write on
Radioactive Waste Disposal Log Sheet
Nothing because you don’t need to keep a running total
Caution Radioactive Material label
15. The energy of a particular beta particle is most likely to be:
Answer:
The maximum beta energy for the nuclide
Approximately 1/2 of the maximum beta energy for the nuclide
Approximately 1/3 of the maximum beta energy for the nuclide
Approximately 1/10 of the maximum beta energy for the nuclide
16. During a spill of radioactive material, decontamination should be performed in the following manner:
Answer:
Facility, Equipment, Personnel
Equipment, Facility, Personnel
Personnel, Facility, Equipment
Only need to clean spill and not worry about additional items being contaminated
17. The least radiosensitive mammalian cells are:
Answer:
Nerve cells
Germ cells
White blood cells
Endothelial cells
18. The following statements are true regarding sewer disposal permits:
Answer:
A sewer disposal application must be completed and approval granted prior to using sink for disposal
If sharing a room, each authorized user is required to obtain a permit
Disposal can only be in the room and sink stated on the permit
All of the above
19. Which organization issues the license for radioactive materials use to the University of Maryland Baltimore?
Answer:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Maryland Department of the Environment
The Radiation Safety Committee
None of the above
20. The annual whole body radiation dose limit for radiation workers in Maryland regulations is:
Answer:
0.5 rem
3 rem
5 rem
None of the above
21. 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
22. It is appropriate to:
Answer:
Place liquid radioactive waste in the dry waste boxes
Pour liquid radioactive waste down the drain regardless of the chemical composition
Label all liquid scintillation vial containers with the name of the scintillation cocktail
Place lead shielding and syringes into the dry waste boxes
23. 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
24. 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
25. What radionuclides can be placed in the same waste container?
Answer:
H-3 and C-14
H-3 and P-32
C-14 and S-35
P-32 and S-35
26. 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
27. 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
28. A G-M detector operates by:
Answer:
Converting ionizing radiation to UV photons
Collecting the charge created by ionizations in the wall of the probe
Collecting the charge created by ionization in the gas contained in the probe
All of the above
29. Low energy gamma emitters, such as I-125, are best detected during a survey for fixed contamination by using:
Answer:
A GM thin-window detector
A sodium iodide (NaI) detector
A liquid scintillation counter
None of the above
30. The inverse square rule can be used to:
Answer:
Determine the level of exposure at a given distance from a point source
Determine the level of radioactivity (mCi) in a point source
Determine the decay rate of a specific isotope
None of the above
31. The primary sources of background radiation are exposure from:
Answer:
Cosmic, terrestrial and medical sources
Consumer electronic products and irradiated foods
Radioactive material in other persons bodies
Nuclear power generation
32. Low energy beta emitters, such as H-3 or C-14, are best detected during a survey for removable contamination by using:
Answer:
A GM thin-window detector
A sodium iodide (NaI) detector
A liquid scintillation counter (LSC)
None 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. The most radiosensitive mammalian organs are:
Answer:
Blood forming organs
Digestive organs
Nerve cells
Calcified bone
35. A bioassay is a measurement used to determine:
Answer:
The extent of damage caused by exposure to an unknown source of radiation
The presence of radioactive material in the body
The current physical conditioning of the body
The length of time it will take for the body to repair damage caused by exposure to ionizing radiation
36. An ALARA program (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) is intended to:
Answer:
Reduce the amount of radioactive material used at a single location
Reduce the level of radiation exposure that individuals receive
Reduce the quantity of radioactive waste that is generated from an experiment
None of the above
37. A scintillation detector operates by:
Answer:
Converting ionizing radiation to UV photons
Collecting the charge created by ionizations in the wall of the probe
Collecting the charge created by ionization in the gas contained in the probe
All of the above
38. Who is not required to wear a dosimeter?
Answer:
Anyone who works with only H-3 and/or C-14
Anyone who can possibly receive 10% of the dose limit
Anyone who works with a radiation-producing machine
All of the above
39. The theory that small amounts of radiation are necessary for good health is:
Answer:
A lie put out by the food irradiation industry
True only if it is alpha radiation
True only if it is x and/or gamma radiation
Radiation hormesis
40. Beta radiation is characterized by:
Answer:
Particles of nuclear origin having properties identical to an electron
Particles of nuclear origin having properties identical to a helium nucleus
High energy electromagnetic radiation of nuclear origin which is very penetrating
None of the above
41. An experiment you are working on calls for the use of 135 millicuries of I-131 in one administration. The lab received 500 millicuries on 11/04 and todays date is 11/20 of the same year. 131I has a half-life of 8.02 days. The following should
Answer:
Use 135 millicuries and let the next person worry about it
You will need to order more 131I
Use the remaining 100 millicuries and borrow some from the lab next door
Use a smaller lab rat
42. It is acceptable to wear another persons dosimeter when:
Answer:
They work in the same area and handle the same radioactive material
They are on vacation and will not need their dosimeter
You should never wear another person’s dosimeter
None of the above
43. 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
44. 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
45. The only atomic particles that can activate or make another material radioactive are:
Answer:
Alpha particles
Beta particles
Neutrons
Gammas
46. Dry solid waste can contain:
Answer:
Syringes
Surgical instruments
Gloves
Organic liquids
47. The portable survey meter (Geiger counter) must be calibrated as follows:
Answer:
Following repairs
On an annual basis
Before the first use
All of the above
48. Geiger-Mueller survey instruments:
Answer:
Can ONLY be used to report dose rate information (i.e., mR/h).
Are operated at the lowest voltage of any gas filled detector.
Should only be relied upon for qualitative measurements.
Can be used to determine exactly how much contamination is present.
49. The half-life of a radioactive element is:
Answer:
The length of time it takes to decay to background levels
A unit of radioactivity that equals 2.22E6 disintegrations per minute
The length of time it takes for one-half of the atoms to decay
None of the above
50. 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
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