Physical Data
- Radiation: Beta (100% abundance)
- Energy: Max 248.5 keV; Average 76.4 keV
Half-Life
- Physical: 25.3 days
- Biological: Bone ~ 1155 days; Whole Body ~ 257 days
- Effective: 25.3 days
Range
- 50 cm in air unshielded
External Hazard
- Not an external hazard
Internal Hazard
- Critical Organ: Bone (soluble); Lung (Inhalation); GI Tract (Ingestion - insoluble compounds)
Skin & Eye Hazard
- Avoid skin contamination.
Safety Guidelines
- Plexiglas 1 cm thick is recommended as shielding material. Thinner Plexiglas, although adequate to reduce exposure, does not have good mechanical properties.
- Dosimeters cannot detect P-33 beta radiation due to its low energy.
- Wear a lab coat and disposable gloves when working with P-33. Change gloves frequently.
- Avoid direct eye contact - work behind a Plexiglas shield or wear safety glasses.
- P-33 can often be substituted in an assay already using P-32. However, due to the difference in beta energy, you should increase exposure time approximately four-fold for P-33 according to the vendor's technical data specifications.
Update 1/2013