UMB Initial Radiation Safety Training (RST)
1. Nitrogen-16 contains how many protons and neutrons in its nucleus?
Answer:
9 protons and 7 neutrons
8 protons and 8 neutrons
7 protons and 9 neutrons
6 protons and 10 neutrons
2. Dry solid waste can contain:
Answer:
Syringes
Surgical instruments
Gloves
Organic liquids
3. What is the LD50/60 for x or gamma ray radiation?
Answer:
Roughly 750 rad
Nearly 925 Gy
Approximately 500 rad
Almost 10 rad
4. 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
5. A major concern when selecting shielding for high energy beta emitters is:
Answer:
Generation of secondary x-rays from bremsstrahlung radiation
Making the shielding thick enough to prevent backscatter from occurring
Shielding the neutrons that will be released as the betas interact with the shielding
None of the above
6. 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.
7. During an accidental medical exposure, you and your lab colleagues find that you have experienced a 100 rem (1 Sv) exposure in a very short period of time. You can expect to have:
Answer:
An incidence of vomiting in 50% of those present
Moderate to severe leukopenia
A blood transfusion and antibiotics administered
No noticeable ill effects and an excellent prognosis
8. 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
9. 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
10. An individual who is going to pick up a shipment of radioactive material from the Radiation Safety Office should:
Answer:
Have their assigned bar code ID
Have their photo ID
Be wearing their assigned whole body dosimeter
All of the above
11. 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
12. 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
13. What additional precautions are taken when a person declares they are pregnant?
Answer:
Their dosimeter frequency changes from quarterly to monthly, if worker was not already badged monthly
They can no longer work in a radioactive material lab
They can only work one day a week with radioactive material
None of the above
14. Beta particles have a spectrum of energies because:
Answer:
The beta particle is emitted from the nucleus of the atom
The decay product, beta particle and antineutrino are created together and must share the decay energy
The proton that is created absorbs some of the decay energy
The decay products must conserve charge
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
18. The primary hazard from an alpha emitter is:
Answer:
An internal exposure upon intake of the material into the body
An external exposure of the skin
An external exposure to the thyroid
None of the above
19. 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
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. 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
22. The Becquerel 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
23. A radioactive atom is one that has:
Answer:
Excess orbital electrons and therefore, an overall negative charge
Excess number of electrons in the nucleus
An equal number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus with no excess energy
None of the above
24. 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
25. Detection efficiency is calculated by:
Answer:
Dividing the number of microcuries by the decay constant (0.693/T)
Dividing the number of counts by the number of actual disintegrations
Dividing the atomic weight of an atom by its Z number
None of the above
26. 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
27. 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
28. 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
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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
33. 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
34. 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
35. 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
36. 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
37. 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
38. 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.
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. 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
41. When water (H2O) is ionized by radiation, it produces H+ + OH- . It can recombine as:
Answer:
H2
H2O
H2O2
All of the above
42. 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
43. 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
44. 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
45. When exposed to ionizing radiation, there is a chance that an ionizing event may occur in an atom(s). This event may affect the molecules, cells, tissues, organs and the whole body. There will be some effects from this exposure. This statement is true:
Answer:
Whether the dose is small or large
Only when the dose is large
When the dose is only from x or gamma rays
Only when the dose is from high energy betas
46. 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
47. 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
48. 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
49. 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
50. 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.
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