Radioactive Materials
Radioactive materials are a restricted commodity at Purdue University. Users must complete radiation safety training and obtain project approval before ordering or using radioactive materials. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) must approve all isotope orders to maintain compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements and campus inventory limits.
Purchasing Radioactive Materials
Why it is Important EHS Approve Radioactive Materials
For obvious reasons, radioactive material is a restricted commodity. Users must go through radiation safety training and the project approval process before they can begin ordering and using radioactivity. In addition, EHS must approve all isotope orders. The approval process enables us to maintain an inventory of all radioisotopes on campus as is required by the NRC. The process also helps us ensure an order does not exceed limits set on individual projects.
If you have any questions about whether or not an order is considered radioactive or if you are not sure how to include some of the required information, please contact EHS Radiological Management.
Ordering Through Ariba
To comply with Procurement Services requirements we must use Ariba to order almost everything. This includes radioactive materials.
When placing an order in Ariba, please use the Commodity code for “Radioisotope Sources.” Use of this category automatically adds EHS to the order approval work flow.
Required Shipping Address
To maintain compliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) and NRC regulations, all packages containing radioactive material must go through a required check-in process. Therefore, they must be shipped to:
Hampton Hall of Civil Engineering
Radiation Safety, Room B203
550 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051
Radioactive Material Requisition (Form R-1)
When ordering, use the Radioactive Material Requisition (Form R-1) which can be saved to your computer, filled out and emailed to the person in charge of placing orders in your area. This will ensure the person actually entering the order into Ariba knows it is a radioisotope order. That Form R-1 should then be attached to the Ariba order so EHS can print it when approving the order. We will then be able to provide you with a copy of the Form R-1 for your records that includes the assay information pertinent to your order. Use the imbedded links on this page for the Form R-1 or it can be found on the Forms page.
Order Review and Processing Time
Ariba orders will be checked by EHS each day by noon so please get your radioisotope orders in before noon for approval that day. Please be aware, however, that once an order is approved by EHS, it may still need approval from your department’s fiscal approver and from Purchasing before it will be faxed to the vendor. Since each vendor has their own cut-off time for shipping, there is no guarantee an order placed today will arrive at Purdue the next day. Vendors also celebrate most of the same holidays as Purdue and do not ship over long holiday weekends. Please plan accordingly and, if possible, place your order at least 3 business days before you need it.
Pricing and Quotes
We have price quotes for several of our most common isotopes that are significantly lower than the list price. If you have a special order or will be ordering a new product more frequently, please contact EHS Radiological Management to get a new price quote.
Vendor Information & Links
The following links are external resources and may not meet Purdue’s accessibility standards.
Iodination Facilities
Radioactive iodine is used in several procedures on campus. The radiation safety staff is concerned mainly with iodination procedures. These procedures can be very cost effective for researchers, but several additional safety considerations must be met. Due to the volatility of the compounds used, air monitoring is involved as well as thyroid bioassays post-experiment to assure that no iodine uptake occurred. Before doing any iodinations, please contact EHS Radiological Management for an air filter as well as an appointment for a bioassay. These safety considerations are extremely important in preventing unnecessary exposure.
Radiation Calculators
Some websites that may be helpful for calculating radioactive decay and/or doing radioactivity unit conversions are listed below.
The following links are external resources and may not meet Purdue’s accessibility standards.
Decay Calculators
Radioactivity Unit Conversions
Dosimetry
Radiation dosimetry is used to track exposure from high energy isotopes and X-ray producing devices. EHS determines what type of dosimeter(s) you will need based on the degree of hazard you will be working with. There are several situations in which dosimeters are not required.
When you submit a Form A-4 (Application to Use Radioactive Materials and/or Radiation-Producing Devices) and complete the required training, the determination for dosimetry will be made. Training instructions may be found on the Radiation Safety Training page.
Contact
If you have any other questions, please contact the EHS Radiation and Laser Safety section for assistance.