Radioxenon packaging contamination

Xenon-133 in multiple unit-dose vials is a commonly employed radionuclide in nuclear medicine. Because it is an inert gas, shipments of radioxenon for nuclear medicine departments are not required to be checked for contamination. An evaluation of 30 shipments containing 133Xe vials revealed consistent contamination of the inner plastic packaging jackets. Surveys were performed using a Geiger-Muller survey meter, a dose calibrator, and a scintillation camera. Study of the xenon removal from the jackets indicated storage in a fume hood until the following day reduced the contaminated materials to background levels. The dose calibrator was found to be a quick and sensitive survey instrument for determining contamination in these plastic jackets