Which statement correctly describes the risk if you touch radioactive waste?

Which statement correctly describes the risk if you touch radioactive waste?

• A. It is harmless and requires no action.
• B. It is safe to touch if wearing gloves.
• C. If you come in contact you may be contaminated, and the material must be disposed.
• D. It dissolves when left in air.

Answer: (C)

Touching radioactive waste creates a contamination risk: radioactive material can stick to your skin, clothing, or surfaces and be transferred to your hands, mouth, or wounds, leading to external exposure or internal contamination if you ingest or inhale particles. The correct idea is that any contact may contaminate you and that such material must be disposed of according to proper radioactive-waste procedures to prevent further spread and exposure. Wearing gloves isn’t a guarantee of safety because contaminants can permeate gloves or be transferred during handling or when removing gloves, and some waste requires immediate decontamination and proper disposal rather than mere protection. The other statements aren’t accurate because touching radioactive waste is not harmless, gloves don’t make it safe, and radioactive waste does not dissolve in air.

Touching radioactive waste creates a contamination risk: radioactive material can stick to your skin, clothing, or surfaces and be transferred to your hands, mouth, or wounds, leading to external exposure or internal contamination if you ingest or inhale particles. The correct idea is that any contact may contaminate you and that such material must be disposed of according to proper radioactive-waste procedures to prevent further spread and exposure. Wearing gloves isn’t a guarantee of safety because contaminants can permeate gloves or be transferred during handling or when removing gloves, and some waste requires immediate decontamination and proper disposal rather than mere protection. The other statements aren’t accurate because touching radioactive waste is not harmless, gloves don’t make it safe, and radioactive waste does not dissolve in air.