You can also transfer ownership of a working machine to an individual or institution legally able to use X-ray machines.You can donate it to a company that recycles usable machines.The tube is under vacuum and, if broken, could splinter and cause injuries. X-Ray tubes - To disable an X-ray machine, remove the head, being careful not to break the X-ray tube. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you will have from 90-180 days from the decommissioning date – the day you take the machine out of service – to properly dispose of the hazardous waste or face potential fines.īefore declaring a machine as waste and taking it out of service, hire a private sector environmental waste consultant or contractor to walk you through the process. If it turns out that your old machine contains a hazardous waste metal regulated by the U.S. How you go about this could either save or cost you a lot of money. Before taking a machine out of service, you need to be aware of what's in the machine and what needs to be done to dispose of it properly. Hazardous metals - Older equipment may contain hazardous metals. It's also your responsibility to test the machine for PCBs before you transfer ownership. If your machine has PCBs in it, you will need to contact a waste removal specialist to safely remove this substance. PCBs - X-ray machines made before July 1979 may contain a toxic substance called polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the transformer oil. Once that's done, many parts of the machine can be recycled. Cobalt 60 rods must be professionally removed. Once you unplug an X-ray machine, there's no residual radiation.Ĭobalt 60 - Cobalt 60 is a radioisotope used in radiography and medical applications. Radiation - An X-ray machine must be plugged into an electrical source in order to produce radiation. WAC 24 Common materials - X-Ray equipment

If the machine is to be placed in storage and retained, contact the Department of Health for approval. Name and contact information of the recipient.ģ. If the machine is disposed of or transferred within Washington state, you must provide:Ī. You must notify the Washington State Department of Health or Business Licensing Service of the machine status within 30 days of closure or removal.Ģ. If you close a facility or get rid of a machine Common materials - X-Ray equipment Disposal - Machine or Parts X-Ray film - how long to keep X-Ray film disposal PROVIDERS - X-ray disposal, film recycling, silver-trap recycling If you close a facility or get rid of a machineġ. The facility must permanently disable X-ray machines before transferring them to a vendor or recycler. We recommend using a commercial X-ray company or recycler for safe disposal of X-ray units and lead aprons. X-ray machines may contain lead, beryllium and PCB-contaminated oil. Special care must be taken to safely dispose X-ray equipment, film, and machines.

Xray machine