Abstract
The widespread use of H and 14C in research has generated a large volume of waste mixed with scintillation liquid, requiring an effective control and appropriate storage of liquid radioactive waste. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of three commercially available scintillation liquids, Optiphase HiSafe 3, Ultima-Gold AB (biodegradable) and Insta-Gel-XF (non-biodegradable), in terms of [14C]-glucose and [ H]-thymidine counting efficiency. We also analyzed the effect of the relative amount of water (1.6 to 50%), radioisotope concentration (0.1 to 100 nCi/ml), pH (2 to 10) and color of the solutions (samples containing 0.1 to 1.0 mg/ml of Trypan blue) on the counting efficiency in the presence of these scintillation liquids. There were few significant differences in the efficiency of 14C and H counting obtained with biodegradable or non-biodegradable scintillation liquids. However, there was an 83 and 94% reduction in the efficiency of 14C and H counting, respectively, in samples colored with 1 mg/ml Trypan blue, but not with 0.1 mg/ml, independent of the scintillation liquid used. Considering the low cost of biodegradable scintillation cocktails and their efficacy, these results show that traditional hazardous scintillation fluids may be replaced with the new safe biodegradable fluids without impairment of H and 14C counting efficiency. The use of biodegradable scintillation cocktails minimizes both human and environmental exposure to hazardous solvents. In addition, some biodegradable scintillation liquids can be 40% less expensive than the traditional hazardous cocktails.
Highlights
Radioisotopes commonly used in biomedical research possess low energy and a short range of air or fluid penetration
We propose to bring to the attention of the scientific community the advantages of biodegradable scintillation liquids over non-biodegradable liquids, because there is guaranteed adequate disposal of biodegradable radioactive waste according to Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) rules for radioprotection and environmental conservation
When the samples were diluted in 3.0 ml of water, which corresponds to 50% of the final volume, there was a significant reduction (55%) in counting efficiency with the Optiphase HiSafe 3 scintillation liquid
Summary
Radioisotopes commonly used in biomedical research possess low energy and a short range of air or fluid penetration. They require direct contact with the scintillation medium and special technology for efficient indirect detection of radioactivity [1]. The widespread use of these isotopes in research requires effective control of the liquid, solid and biological radioactive waste that results from techniques such as radioimmunoassay or radioligand binding assays. Most of these experiments generate a large volume of 3H and 14C waste in scintillation liquid. An energy transfer loss frequently occurs as a result of absorption of light by solid materials, chromogenic interposition, solution turbidity or pH changes in the scintillation fluid [2,3]
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Schedule a callMore From: Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas
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