UN2915: Shipping Radioactive Material in Type A Packages (Non-Special Form)

Why UN2915 Matters

If you ship radioactive material, there is a good chance you have shipped — or will ship — under UN2915. It is the default classification for the vast majority of RAM shipments: medical isotopes going to hospitals, research samples moving between labs, industrial sources being returned for disposal or recalibration. Any time the activity exceeds excepted package limits but stays within the A2 value, and the material is not special form or fissile, you are looking at UN2915.

I tell shippers to think of UN2915 as the “standard” classification. It is the one you land on most often once you work through the classification logic. The excepted packages (UN2908–UN2911) handle the small stuff. Type B (UN2916/UN2917) handles the big stuff. UN2915 handles everything in between — which turns out to be most of what moves in the real world.

Who Ships Under UN2915

UN2915 is the classification for:

• Medical isotope shippers — Tc-99m generators, I-131 therapy doses, F-18 for PET scans, Lu-177 for targeted therapy
• Research labs — P-32, S-35, C-14, Cr-51, and other tracer isotopes in solution or powder form
• Industrial source returns — sources being returned for disposal, recalibration, or recycling that are not in special form capsules
• Waste shippers — radioactive waste in normal form above excepted limits but within A2
• Nuclear medicine pharmacies — unit doses and multi-dose vials shipped daily to clinics and hospitals

What Qualifies for UN2915?

A shipment classifies as UN2915 when all of the following are true:

1. Activity exceeds excepted package limits — the material does not qualify for UN2910 (limited quantity) or UN2911 (instruments/articles)
2. Activity does not exceed A2 — the total activity per package is at or below the A2 value for the radionuclide (or the effective A2 for mixtures)
3. Material is in normal form — it has not been certified as special form per 49 CFR 173.469
4. Material is non-fissile or fissile-excepted — it either does not contain fissile isotopes, or the fissile content qualifies for an exemption under 49 CFR 173.453

If the activity exceeds A2, you need Type B packaging (UN2916 or UN2917). If the material is special form, use UN3332. If the material is fissile and does not qualify for a fissile exemption, use UN3327.

A2 Activity Limits for Common Isotopes

The A2 value is the maximum activity allowed in a single Type A package for normal form material. These values are radionuclide-specific and are listed in 49 CFR 173.435. Here are the A2 values for isotopes commonly shipped under UN2915:

Medical Isotopes

Research Isotopes

Industrial Isotopes (Normal Form)

Notice the enormous range in A2 values. Cr-51 gives you 30 TBq (811 Ci) in a single Type A package, while Am-241 gives you only 0.001 TBq (27 mCi). This is because A2 reflects the radiotoxicity and dispersal hazard of each isotope — alpha emitters like Am-241 are far more dangerous if inhaled or ingested than a beta emitter like Cr-51.

What Does “Non-Special Form” Actually Mean?

Non-special form (also called normal form) is the default classification for radioactive material. It means the material has not been tested and certified as special form under 49 CFR 173.469. In practical terms, normal form material could potentially disperse — break apart, leak, or become airborne — if the package is damaged in an accident.

This includes:

• Liquids — solutions, vials, syringes (I-131 therapy doses, Tc-99m eluate, research isotopes in solution)
• Powders and loose solids — compounds, salts, contaminated soil
• Gases — gaseous radioactive material in cylinders or ampoules
• Sealed sources without special form certification — a sealed capsule is not automatically special form. It must have been tested and certified to the specific requirements of 49 CFR 173.469 (impact, percussion, bending, heat tests)

Here is the reality: most shippers assume that because their source is sealed in a metal capsule, it is special form. That is not how it works. Special form is a regulatory certification with specific testing requirements. Unless you have the manufacturer's special form certificate on file, your material is normal form — and that means UN2915, not UN3332. I have seen shippers put the wrong UN number on shipping papers because they assumed “sealed” means “special form.” It does not.

UN2915 Shipping Requirements

As a Type A shipment, UN2915 comes with the full set of Class 7 shipping requirements. For detailed packaging design requirements, see the Type A Packages guide. Here is a summary of what you need:

Packaging

• Type A package meeting 49 CFR 173.412 design requirements
• Self-certified by the shipper — no competent authority approval required
• If shipping liquids: absorbent material capable of absorbing twice the liquid volume
• If shipping gases: containment must withstand pressure reduction to 60 kPa

Marking

• “TYPE A” specification marking on the package
• UN number: UN2915
• Proper shipping name: Radioactive material, Type A package, non-special form
• Shipper and consignee names and addresses
• Gross weight if over 50 kg

Labeling

• Radioactive category label (I-White, II-Yellow, or III-Yellow) based on dose rate and Transport Index
• Contents (radionuclide name/symbol) and activity written on the label
• Two labels on opposite sides of the package

Shipping Papers

The shipping paper entry for UN2915 must include:

• UN number and proper shipping name: “UN2915, Radioactive material, Type A package, non-special form, 7”
• Radionuclide name (e.g., Cesium-137, Technetium-99m)
• Physical and chemical form of the material
• Activity in SI units (Becquerels) with customary units (Curies) permitted in addition
• Category of label applied (I-White, II-Yellow, or III-Yellow)
• TI (except for Category I-White)
• “Radioactive Material” as a description on the package

UN2915 vs. the Other Type A UN Numbers

There are four Type A UN numbers. UN2915 is the most common, but understanding how the others differ helps you classify correctly:

The decision tree is straightforward:

1. Is the material special form? If yes → UN3332 or UN3333. If no → UN2915 or UN3327.
2. Is the material fissile (and not exempted)? If yes → UN3327 or UN3333. If no → UN2915 or UN3332.

Most shippers never deal with fissile material, and many do not have special form certifications. That is why UN2915 handles the lion's share of Type A shipments.

Mixtures of Radionuclides

When your package contains more than one radionuclide, you cannot simply check each one against its A2 independently. Instead, you use the sum-of-fractions rule from 49 CFR 173.433(d):

For mixtures, divide the activity of each radionuclide by its A2 value, then sum the fractions. If the sum is ≤ 1.0, the mixture qualifies for Type A.

For example, if you have a package with Cs-137 at 0.3 TBq and Co-60 at 0.2 TBq:

• Cs-137: 0.3 / 0.6 = 0.50
• Co-60: 0.2 / 0.4 = 0.50
• Sum: 1.00 — at the limit, still qualifies for Type A (UN2915)

If the sum exceeds 1.0, the package cannot ship as Type A and requires Type B packaging.

Common UN2915 Shipping Scenarios

Nuclear Medicine Pharmacy Shipments

Nuclear medicine pharmacies ship Tc-99m unit doses and multi-dose vials daily. A typical Tc-99m generator eluate shipment might contain 2–3 TBq (50–80 Ci) of Tc-99m in a single package. With an A2 of 4 TBq, that fits comfortably within UN2915. These shipments happen thousands of times every day across the country — UN2915 is the workhorse that makes modern nuclear medicine logistics possible.

Research Lab Isotope Orders

Universities and research facilities regularly order P-32, S-35, C-14, and other tracer isotopes for experiments. These arrive as liquids in vials, typically in the MBq to GBq range. Well within A2 limits, shipped in commercial Type A packaging from the isotope supplier. My advice here is to always check the activity on the order form against the A2 value before the shipment arrives. If you are ordering multiple vials, the per-package activity is what matters — not the per-vial activity.

Source Returns and Disposal

When sealed sources are returned for disposal or recycling, the question of normal form versus special form comes up frequently. If the source has a valid special form certificate and is being shipped intact, it qualifies for UN3332. But if the source is damaged, the certificate has expired, or you simply do not have the certificate on file, it ships as normal form under UN2915. I have worked with facilities that defaulted to UN2915 for every return shipment because they could not locate the special form certificates. That is the safe approach — more conservative, but compliant.

How RadShip.com Helps

RadShip.com automates the classification logic that determines whether your shipment is UN2915 or one of the other 19 Class 7 UN numbers:

• RAMcalc — enter your radionuclide, activity, and material form, and it determines the correct UN number, including whether you qualify for excepted packages or need to step up to Type B
• LabelCalc — once classified, calculate the correct label category (I-White, II-Yellow, III-Yellow) based on dose rate and Transport Index
• Sum-of-fractions — for mixtures, RAMcalc automatically computes the sum-of-fractions against A2 values and tells you if the package fits in Type A

The classification logic — checking A2 limits, handling mixtures, determining fissile status, choosing the correct UN number — is exactly the kind of thing that should be automated rather than done manually from tables. One wrong A2 lookup, one misplaced decimal, and you end up with the wrong classification. Try it free for 7 days.

Common Questions

What is the proper shipping name for UN2915?

“Radioactive material, Type A package, non-special form.” On shipping papers, it appears as: “UN2915, Radioactive material, Type A package, non-special form, 7” followed by the radionuclide name, physical form, activity, category label, and TI.

What if my activity is right at the A2 value?

You still qualify for Type A. The limit is “does not exceed A2” — meaning at exactly A2, you are still within the limit. You need Type B only when activity exceeds A2. That said, if you are right at the limit, make sure your activity measurement is accurate. Survey instrument uncertainty could put you over.

Can I ship UN2915 by air?

Yes, but with additional requirements. Type A packages can be shipped by air, but you must also comply with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations which may impose additional restrictions — including passenger vs. cargo aircraft limitations based on activity level.

What if I have both normal form and special form in the same package?

The entire package is classified as normal form (UN2915). Per 49 CFR 173.433(d)(3), when a package contains both forms, all activity — including the special form material — is evaluated against A2 values. You cannot split the classification.

Does UN2915 require an emergency response telephone number?

Yes. Unlike excepted packages, Type A shipments require a 24-hour emergency response telephone number on the shipping paper per 49 CFR 172.604.

Summary: Your UN2915 Checklist

Before shipping under UN2915, verify:

• ☐ Activity exceeds excepted package limits (Table 4) but does not exceed A2
• ☐ Material is in normal form (no special form certificate, or choosing to classify as normal form)
• ☐ Material is non-fissile or qualifies for a fissile exemption under 49 CFR 173.453
• ☐ Package meets Type A design requirements (49 CFR 173.412)
• ☐ Package is marked with “TYPE A,” UN2915, proper shipping name, shipper/consignee
• ☐ Correct radioactive label applied (I-White, II-Yellow, or III-Yellow) on two opposite sides
• ☐ Shipping paper completed with all required entries including 24-hour emergency phone number
• ☐ Transport Index calculated and recorded on label and shipping paper
• ☐ External dose rate does not exceed regulatory limits
• ☐ Non-fixed external contamination is within Table 9 limits
• ☐ For liquids: absorbent material in place (2× liquid volume)
• ☐ For mixtures: sum-of-fractions against A2 values is ≤ 1.0

Regulatory References

Classification and Limits:

• 49 CFR 173.435 — Table of A1 and A2 values
• 49 CFR 173.433 — Requirements for determining A1/A2 for mixtures
• 49 CFR 173.431 — Activity limits for Type A packages

Packaging:

• 49 CFR 173.412 — Type A package design requirements
• 49 CFR 173.410 — General design requirements
• 49 CFR 173.469 — Special form qualification criteria

Marking, Labeling, and Documentation:

• 49 CFR 172.101 — Hazardous materials table (UN numbers and PSNs)
• 49 CFR 172.403 — Radioactive material label requirements
• 49 CFR 172.604 — Emergency response telephone number

Fissile Exemptions:

• 49 CFR 173.453 — Fissile material exemptions