Removing radionuclide contamination in Nuclear Medicine
10th March 2022
Bind-It™ decontamination fluid at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Bind-It™ is a decontamination fluid used to clean and remove residual radionuclide contamination, with a unique affinity for radioiodine.
Lesley Lovell is Principal Technologist in Nuclear Medicine at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where Bind-It™ is used to decontaminate patient rooms. We asked Lesley why she had chosen Bind-It™.
Safeguarding patients
“We originally used another decontaminant but moved to Bind-It™ because it isn’t corrosive, as the hand soap isn’t an irritant to skin. Bind-It™ is also recommended for Iodine-131, which is useful as we offer iodine therapies.”
Patients that have undergone Iodine therapy can excrete the radionuclide through perspiration, respiration, saliva, and urine, which can lead to the contamination of room surfaces, toilets, sinks, medical gloves, and other areas. Paradoxically, the danger is that exposure to Iodine-131 can increase the risk of thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer.
Binds and removes radionuclides
General-purpose decontaminants use electropositive ionic agents that repel electronegative radionuclide atoms. This only pushes them away, whereas Bind-It™ binds it and suspends it in solution that when combined with water becomes a subsidising cleaner that lifts residual radionuclides, allowing it to be removed properly.
As well as radioiodine, Bind-it™ has been found to be an effective decontaminant of a wide variety of radionuclides, including Tc99m, F-18, Lu-177, and others.
Soap, spray, and concentrate
With the risks presented by exposure to radioactive contamination, Bind-It™ is available as a hand soap, bottled spray, and concentrate.
“We use all three at Aberdeen, and dilute the concentrate,” said Lesley. “Bind-It™ is an excellent decontaminant, I would definitely recommend it.”
Find out more
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