HP-26: C-14 Handling and Other Information

Carbon-14 is a commonly used radionuclide with a half-life of 5730 years, emitting only beta particles with a maximum energy of 0.156 MeV (Million Electron Volts) and an average energy of 0.049 MeV. The beta particles from C-14 travel a maximum of 22 cm.

The major concern with using C-14 is that it cannot be easily monitored during its use, therefore, special precautions are needed to keep the work environment clean. The regular use of wipe testing is the only way to insure that your work space is not contaminated. Contamination on the skin will not likely cause a significant dose to the dead layer of skin, however, it could lead to the internal absorption of C-14. The maximum permissible body burden to the whole body is 0.4 mCi.

Glass and plastic are the best shields for beta particles from C-14.

A tiny drop of contamination from C-14 can be easily detected with a wipe test from a Liquid Scintillation Counter. Most Geiger Counters will not efficiently detect the presence of C-14.

The following equipment and supplies must be available:

• A Liquid Scintillation Detector.
• Disposable latex or plastic gloves.
• A full-length lab coat.
• Radioactive waste receptacle
• Pipettes dedicated to the use of C-14.
• Commercial decontaminate

If the following safety precautions are used, personnel radiation exposure will be as low as reasonably achievable.

• Designate a specific area of the lab for C-14 handling
• Full-length lab coats must be worn by all persons who handle C-14
• Protect your hands from becoming contaminated from spills by wearing two pairs of disposable gloves
• Never pipette C-14 by mouth
• Only use pipettes which have been dedicated to your specific use of C-14
• Pipettes will easily become contaminated and therefore, should not be shared with others
• If you have reason to believe that your gloves are contaminated, immediately dispose of them in the radioactive waste container