Physical Data
- Radiation: Gamma - 320 keV (9.8% abundance)
- X-ray: 5 keV (22% abundance)
Half-Life
- Physical: 27.7 days
- Biological: 616 days
- Effective: Bound - 26.6 days; (whole body)
Range
- Theoretically infinite in air (unshielded)
External, Skin & Eye Hazard
- Is an external exposure hazard. Unshielded exposure rate from a 1mCi point source at a distance of 1 cm is 160 mrem/hour.
Internal Hazard
- Critical Organ: Lower Large Intestine (LLI)
Shielding
- 0.90 cm of lead will reduce original exposure intensity greater than 96%
Safety Guidelines
- Whole body and ring dosimeters are required to be worn by individuals working with > 1 mCi amount of Cr-51.
- Wear a lab coat and disposable gloves when working with Cr-51. Change gloves frequently.
- Avoid direct eye contact – wear safety glasses to avoid splashing Cr-51 into eyes.
- Store >1mCi amounts of Cr-51 source vials and solutions behind lead shields.
updated 1/2013