Use of Nonradioactive Technologies Is Having Big Impact in Hospital Waste Reduction Efforts

Continuing efforts begun in the late 1980s, Jefferson has dramatically reduced use of radioactive materials in medical research and clinical environments. Contributing to this positive change are environmentally aware employees and new, alternative technologies.

"Only 10 to 15 percent of tests now performed in Jefferson's endocrine/immunoassay laboratory are radioactive based, compared to 75 percent six years ago," says Emanuel Rubin, MD, the Gonzalo E. Aponte Professor of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, and department chair.

Jefferson began to explore alternative technologies for research and medical testing in the late 1980s because of the numerous drawbacks to the use and disposal of radioactive material and the staffÕs motivation for environmental advocacy. As a result, the hospitalÕs efforts substantially decreased the level of commercial waste being produced, Dr. Rubin points out.

Four nonradioactive-based technologies now used at Jefferson are fluorescence, chemiluminescence, PCR and enzyme immuno-assay.