UMB Initial Radiation Safety Training (RST)
1. 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
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. 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
4. Medical procedures using radiation can include which of the following:
Answer:
X-rays needed for diagnostics
Nuclear medicine procedures
Radiation oncology procedures
All of the above
5. Contamination should be measured in what units?
Answer:
Disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 square centimeters
Counts per minute (cpm) per 100 square centimeters
Disintegrations per minute (dpm)
Millicuries (mCi)
6. Which of the following items should not be placed in a radioactive waste container:
Answer:
Contaminated lead shielding
Sharps or needles that have not been placed into a sealed sharps container
Waste materials that are known to be non-radioactive
All of the above
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. Dry solid waste can contain:
Answer:
Syringes
Surgical instruments
Gloves
Organic liquids
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
15. Which radiation is the least penetrating:
Answer:
Alpha
Beta
Gamma
X-ray
16. Beta decay is the process of:
Answer:
The nuclear transformation of a proton into a neutron
The nuclear transformation of an electron into a proton
The atomic transformation of an electron into a beta particle
The nuclear transformation of a neutron into a proton
17. What type of shielding is required for a low beta energy isotope like H-3?
Answer:
1 cm of plexiglas
0.02 mm of lead
5 cm of concrete
None of the above
18. 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
19. What is the best way to prevent internal exposure?
Answer:
Do not eat, drink or smoke in the laboratory
Use a fume hood when working with volatile I-25
Ensure you wear protective clothing when working with radioactive material
All of the above
20. 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
21. 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.
22. Which of the following radionuclides has 15 protons and 18 neutrons in the nucleus of it's atoms?
Answer:
Phosphorous-32
Phosphorous-33
Silicon-32
Sulphur-35
23. Radioactive waste should:
Answer:
Be disposed in the regular trash
Be segregated by isotope and waste form
Be placed in the corridors when the containers are full
Not be labeled with an activity until the container is full
24. 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
25. 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
26. 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
27. 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
28. A strand break in the DNA, resulting from the initial ionizing event in the molecule, is an example of what kind of biological effect:
Answer:
Unidirectional
Direct
Indirect
None of the above
29. The purpose of the radiation dosimeter e.g., film badge, is to:
Answer:
To provide a temporary record of the dose of ionizing radiation received
To protect the individual from ionizing radiation
To provide a permanent record of individual exposure to ionizing radiation
None of the above
30. Regarding receipt of package from Radiation Safety, the following statement is true:
Answer:
It is acceptable to pick up both the package and lunch at the same time
It is acceptable to pick up the package at the end of the day and take home with you until the following morning
It is acceptable to take the package with you while you have lunch
The package must be directly taken back to the lab
31. You are involved in an accident that results in a 300 REM (3 Sv) exposure in a very short period of time. With in the next 60 days you can expect to experience the following:
Answer:
Cataracts
Leukemia
Skin burns
All of the above
32. 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
33. 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
34. 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
35. 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
36. One of the basic methods to control radioactive contamination and to prevent internal radiation exposure is:
Answer:
Proper use of time, distance and shielding
The use of remote handling devices (such as forceps)
Monitoring and surveying of the work area
None of the above
37. 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
38. The radiosensitivity of the digestive tract would be considered:
Answer:
Radiosensitive
Relatively radiosensitive
Moderately radiosensitive
Extremely radiosensitive
39. 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
40. Contamination surveys (wipe tests) must be recorded as follows:
Answer:
Cpm
Wipe tests must be performed but not documented
Dpm
mR/hr
41. 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
42. Isotopes are:
Answer:
Atoms with a unique arrangement of protons and neutrons
Atoms with the same number of protons and neutrons
Atoms with differing numbers of protons and neutrons
Atoms with the same number of protons, but differing numbers of neutrons
43. When should a urine analysis be performed?
Answer:
When you have worked with volatile I-125
When you work with a large amount of Tritium
When you are involved in a major spill or accident
Both b. and c.
44. 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
45. 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
46. 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
47. A charged particle (beta or alpha) can interact directly with matter by:
Answer:
Ionization and excitation
Compton scattering
Pair production
The photoelectric effect
48. A radioactive source is measured at 32 mrem/hr at one meter. What would the exposure rate be at 10 cm:
Answer:
0.32 mrem/hr
3.2 mrem/hr
320 mrem/hr
3200 mrem/hr
49. How long can you work in a 200 mR/hr radiation field and limit your exposure to 50 mR:
Answer:
15 minutes
4 hours
30 minutes
None of the above
50. The least radiosensitive mammalian cells are:
Answer:
Nerve cells
Germ cells
White blood cells
Endothelial cells
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