Sealed sources contain radioactive material that is permanently sealed in a capsule or bonded and in a solid form. The capsule of a sealed radioactive source is designed to prevent the radioactive material from escaping or being released during normal usage and under probable accident conditions.  Acquisition and use of sealed sources at the University of Iowa requires prior authorization.   

General license sources are types of sealed sources that can be obtained without a license with the University of Iowa. Labs that acquire a general license source are required to inform Radiation Safety staff of the acquisition and provide copies of source documentation as soon as possible.

All sources on campus must be made available to Radiation Safety staff for monitoring. An inventory of all sources occurs either on an annual or quarterly schedule based on the isotope and activity of the source. Leak testing of sources may occur as well. All sources must remain in the same condition as received from the manufacturer. Sealed sources that have been damaged beyond what would reasonably be expected to occur due to normal use should be reported to Radiation Safety staff as soon as possible.

Disposal or return of radioactive sealed or general license sources must be coordinated through EHS. Disposal of some types of sources may require additional costs.

Contact information and areas of expertise can be found on the Contact Us page.

Documents

Radiation Safety Guide - Research

Training

• Radiation Safety, Basic – W002RD
  • Audience: Users of radioactive materials in non-human research.
  • Required initially.
• Radiation Safety, Refresher – W001RD
  • Audience: Users of radioactive materials in non-human research.
  • Required annually after completing Radiation Safety, Basic. May not be used as initial training course, see Radiation Safety Basic.
• Electron Capture Detector – W024RD
  • Audience: Individuals using gas chromatographs with ECDs.
  • Required initially and annually.
• Sealed Source Radiation Safety – W023RD
  • Audience: Sealed source users in Intermediate & Advanced Physics Labs.
  • Required initially and annually.

For further training and registration information, go to EHS Safety Training.

Resources

• Non-Human Use Authorization Request – Form 1 
  • Form to submit an application for non-medical use of radioactive materials.
• Non-Human Use Methodology Amendment - Form 2 
  • Use this form to add radionuclides and/or new methodologies to an exiting authorization. 
• Non-Human Use Administrative Amendment - Form 3
  • Use this form to amend possession limits of previously approved radionuclides, use and storage locations, and/or add or delete personnel authorized to work with radioactive material.
• Non-Human Use Application Cancelation Form 
  • Form to cancel your application for non-human use of radioactive materials.
• Non-Human Use On Campus Rad Transfer Form 
  • To transfer your radioactive sealed or general source to another authorized user on campus.

External Links

• Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Bureau of Radiological Health
• HHS Regulatory Guide: Laboratory & Industrial Use of Radioactive Materials
• HHS Regulatory Guide: Gas Chromatographs
• HHS Regulatory Guide: Generally Licensed Material