Decontamination of rat and human skin experimentally contaminated with 99mTc, 201Tl and 131I radionuclides using “Dermadecon” – a skin decontamination kit: an efficacy study

Radioactive skin contamination is one of the most likely risks which occurs after accidental or occupational radiological accidents apart from internal contamination. In such cases where the radioactive contamination has occurred, the person who is contaminated should be decontaminated as early as possible to reduce the damaging health effects of radiation. In the present study, the decontamination efficiency of a developed skin decontamination kit "dermadecon" has been evaluated in animal models and human subjects using gamma scintigraphy. Decontamination efficiency (percentage of the radioactive contaminant removed) was calculated for each radioactive isotope of the study and compared with control where general washing procedure was followed using liquid and soap. The effectiveness of the kit was calculated in animal model with respect to 99mTc-sodium-pertechnetate (99mTcO4−), 201TlCl and 131I and was found 92.84 ± 4.9%, 91.18 ± 3.23% and 94.67 ± 2.92%, respectively. Whereas, in case of human skin, the decontamination efficiency for 99mTcO4− was observed to be 95.00 ± 3.21%. On the basis of findings from the study, it can be concluded that the decontamination agents of the used skin decontamination kit are effective for removal of localized radioactive contaminants from skin, as compared with normal decontamination using soap and water.