Objective: Skin contamination is one of the most likely risks after accidental or occupational radiological accidents. Using scintigraphy, we assessed a topical lotion for its decontamination efficacy (DE) after exposure with short-lived medical radioisotopes technetium Tc 99m (99mTc) and thallium 201Tl (201Tl).
Methods: Using 99mTc (300 ± 5 μCi/100 μl) and 201Tl (100 ± 5 μCi/100 μl), the thoracoabdominal region (shaved skin) of Sprague Dawley rats and human tissue equivalent were contaminated and then decontaminated using cotton swabs soaked in formulated lotion at different time intervals. Static counts were recorded and calculated for DE. Histologic examination was performed on the animal model.
Results: The DE of the formulation for 99mTc and 201Tl was 85% ± 5 and 88% ± 2, respectively. The prepared formulation effectively removed the radionuclides from the tissue surface.
Conclusions: The formulated lotion assisted in the effective removal of radiocontaminants by decontaminating the radionuclides. Moreover, minimal and easily manageable radioactive waste was generated by this process. Further investigation regarding the infusion of formulated lotion into ready-to-use skin wipes for self-decontamination may be useful for mass casualty scenarios. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:-).
Keywords: decontamination; lotion; radionuclides; scintigraphy; skin.