Radiation awarness

Radiation “Awareness” : 

Radiation “Awareness” Objectives To increase public understanding of radiation and radioactivity To provide basic radiation-science information for use by science teachers Health Physics Society Specialists in Radiation Protection

Outline : 

Outline Radiation theory & basics Exposure and effects Ways to minimize exposure Beneficial uses in modern society Resources and additional information

Why Are Elements Radioactive? : 

Why Are Elements Radioactive? Unstable nucleus: Has excess energy. Wants to go to “ground state.” Becomes stable by emitting ionizing radiation. What does “ionizing” mean?

Who Discovered Radioactivity? : 

Who Discovered Radioactivity? Antoine Henri Becquerel Worked with uranium. Noticed phosphorescence caused film exposure after leaving uranium in the sun. Noticed same thing happened on cloudy days.

Radiation Types : 

Alpha Particles (2n, 2p) Beta Particles (e-or+) Photons (hv) (x or gamma rays) Paper Concrete Radiation Types

Ionizing RadiationsBeta Decay : 

Ionizing RadiationsBeta Decay

The Electromagnetic Spectrum : 

The Electromagnetic Spectrum Figure courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

Slide 8: 

Ionizing Radiations Gamma Emission

Definitions : 

Definitions Radioactive decay is a spontaneous process in which nucleons are emitted from or transformed within the nucleus, resulting in a change in the identity of the nucleus, and usually accompanied by the emission of one or more types of radiation from the nucleus and/or atom. Half-life is the time required for half of the atoms of a radioactive material to decay to another nuclear form.

Who’s the Famous “Madame” of Radiological Fame? : 

Who’s the Famous “Madame” of Radiological Fame? Marie Curie With her husband Pierre, discovered radium and coined the term “radioactive” First woman to win two Nobel Prizes

Units of Radioactivity : 

Units of Radioactivity The becquerel (Bq) or The curie (Ci) 1 Ci = 37,000,000,000 Bq so 1 mCi = 37 MBq and 1 µCi = 37 kBq

Approximate Radioactivityin Assorted Items : 

Approximate Radioactivityin Assorted Items Item or Process mCi MBq Smoke Detector 0.001 0.037 Biomedical Lab Experiment 0.5 18.5 Nuclear Medicine Dose 10 370 Industrial Radiography Source 40,000 1,480,000

Slide 13: 

Natural Background Radiation

Slide 14: 

Man-Made Radiation

Biological EffectsMechanisms of Injury : 

Biological EffectsMechanisms of Injury Ionizing Radiation Cell Damage Repair Transformation

Radiation Dose : 

Radiation Dose Dose or radiation dose is a generic term for a measure of radiation exposure. In radiation protection, dose is expressed in millirem. X-Ray Machine External Dose

Contamination : 

Contamination Contamination is the presence of a radioactive material in any place where it is not desired, and especially in any place where its presence could be harmful. Yuck!

Radiation Detection Instruments : 

Radiation Detection Instruments Geiger Counter Liquid Scintillation Counter Photo by Karen Sheehan Photo by Carl Tarantino

Lessons from the Past : 

Lessons from the Past The Radium Dial Painters Photo by Carmelina Rattrovo from the Playwrights Theatre production of Radium Girls, by D.W. Gregory

Annual Radiation Dose LimitsGeneral Public vs. Occupational : 

Annual Radiation Dose LimitsGeneral Public vs. Occupational Established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission General Public Limit - 100 mrem Occupational Limit - 5,000 mrem Remember – We get approximately 300 mrem per year from natural background exposure.

Minimizing Radiation Exposure : 

Minimizing Radiation Exposure Basic Concepts Time Distance Shielding

Minimizing Exposure - Time : 

Minimizing Exposure - Time Minimize the amount of time spent near sources of radiation.

Minimize Exposure by Maximizing Distance : 

Minimize Exposure by Maximizing Distance As the distance from a radioactive source doubles, the exposure rate decreases by a factor of four.

Minimizing Exposure By Using Shielding : 

Minimizing Exposure By Using Shielding Lead blanket shielding around letdown radiation monitors Surry Power Station

Loss of Life Expectancy : 

Loss of Life Expectancy Activity or Behavior LLE (DAYS)__________________ Recreational swimming 40 Being 15 percent overweight 900 Smoking 20 cigarettes per day 1,600 Using pesticides at home 12 Being exposed to radon in a home 35 Living within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant 0.4 Riding a bicycle 6 Driving a car 200 Skydiving 25 Consuming alcohol (U.S. average) 230

Medicine and Research : 

Medicine and Research Colleges Doctors’ Offices Hospitals Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Research: As a “Tracer” : 

Research: As a “Tracer” Radioactivity is an excellent tool! Detectable in minute quantities (like finding one grain of sand on a small beach containing 6,000,000,000 granules)

Power Generation : 

Power Generation Nuclear power supplies 20 percent of energy in the United States. There are 104 nuclear power plants in the United States. Photo by Karen Sheehan

Space Exploration : 

Space Exploration The fuel in: Satellites Jupiter Probe Others Jupiter Probe

Who Discovered X Rays? : 

Who Discovered X Rays? Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen Roentgen worked with a Crookes tube to study cathode rays.

How X Rays Work : 

How X Rays Work

Slide 32: 

X Rays (continued)

Other Types of X-Ray Machines : 

Other Types of X-Ray Machines Photos by Karen Sheehan

X-Ray Crystallography : 

X-Ray Crystallography Photo by Karen Sheehan

Nuclear Medicine : 

Nuclear Medicine Diagnostic Procedures Radioactive injection Short half-life radionuclide Pictures taken with special gamma camera Many different studies: Thyroid Lung Cardiac White Blood Cell Photo by Karen Sheehan

Bone Scans : 

Bone Scans Image courtesy of

Radiation Therapy : 

Radiation Therapy Used for treating cancer. Why does it work? External Beam Brachytherapy (implants) Image courtesy of Photo by Karen Sheehan

Radioactive Consumer Products : 

Radioactive Consumer Products Photo by Karen Sheehan

For more information about radiation you may contact the Health Physics Society. : 

For more information about radiation you may contact the Health Physics Society. http://www.HPS.org Health Physics Society Specialists in Radiation Safety

Additional References : 

Additional References Hall E. Radiation and life, 2nd ed. New York: Pergamon Press; 1984. Bushong SC. Radiologic science for technologists, 7th ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.; 2001.