In a first for Oman, Royal Hospital recycles lead waste
The waste, Dr Khalsa bint Zahran al Nabhaniyah said , will be used in producing material that protects against radioactivity.
Published: 04:06 PM,Jun 05,2022 | EDITED : 08:06 PM,Jun 05,2022
MUSCAT: The Royal Hospital, in cooperation with Arab Lead company, is implementing a project for recycling lead waste to produce cheaper protective material.
The project is a first of a kind in Oman and in the region. It is likely that the project will be the start of several similar experiments in near future.
Dr Khalsa bint Zahran al Nabhaniyah, Head of the Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Department said that the department utilises varied amounts of radioactive materials which are used for medical reasons.
The waste, she added, will be used in producing material that protects against radioactivity.
She added that the radioactive materials are kept in containers made of lead to protect the workers in the Nuclear Medicine Department from exposure to radiation, and after using the radioactive materials, the lead containers are turned into non-radioactive waste.
She stated that during the past years, large quantities of this waste had accumulated in the department's warehouse, which prompted the specialised team to think about how to dispose of it in a proper way and make use of it.
She pointed out that the nuclear medicine team counted approximately 10,000 kg of lead container remnants accumulated from 2012 to 2020 in the radioactive material store at the Nuclear Medicine Department, and the radiation levels were measured by a medical physicist to ensure that they were free from radiation.
She added that personal radiation measuring devices were provided to the team dealing with these wastes, and lead containers were inventoried according to their type and weight by the same team.
In this aspect, Arab Lead Company team was trained by the Nuclear Medicine Department team on how to safely deal with these wastes, especially nuclear generators and how to dismantle them and separate the radiation source from them and then store it in a safe way and deliver it to the Nuclear Medicine Department.
She stated that the last danger was the transfer of lead containers to Arab Lead Company in order to recycle them and manufacture radiation protection devices with international specifications and standards for use by the nuclear medicine department staff.
Dr Khalsa said that the company delivered the two mobile radiation protection devices as a first batch of materials manufactured for the department in April 2022, explaining that the cost of one mobile device is approximately RO 13,000. — ONA
The project is a first of a kind in Oman and in the region. It is likely that the project will be the start of several similar experiments in near future.
Dr Khalsa bint Zahran al Nabhaniyah, Head of the Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Department said that the department utilises varied amounts of radioactive materials which are used for medical reasons.
The waste, she added, will be used in producing material that protects against radioactivity.
She added that the radioactive materials are kept in containers made of lead to protect the workers in the Nuclear Medicine Department from exposure to radiation, and after using the radioactive materials, the lead containers are turned into non-radioactive waste.
She stated that during the past years, large quantities of this waste had accumulated in the department's warehouse, which prompted the specialised team to think about how to dispose of it in a proper way and make use of it.
She pointed out that the nuclear medicine team counted approximately 10,000 kg of lead container remnants accumulated from 2012 to 2020 in the radioactive material store at the Nuclear Medicine Department, and the radiation levels were measured by a medical physicist to ensure that they were free from radiation.
She added that personal radiation measuring devices were provided to the team dealing with these wastes, and lead containers were inventoried according to their type and weight by the same team.
In this aspect, Arab Lead Company team was trained by the Nuclear Medicine Department team on how to safely deal with these wastes, especially nuclear generators and how to dismantle them and separate the radiation source from them and then store it in a safe way and deliver it to the Nuclear Medicine Department.
She stated that the last danger was the transfer of lead containers to Arab Lead Company in order to recycle them and manufacture radiation protection devices with international specifications and standards for use by the nuclear medicine department staff.
Dr Khalsa said that the company delivered the two mobile radiation protection devices as a first batch of materials manufactured for the department in April 2022, explaining that the cost of one mobile device is approximately RO 13,000. — ONA