RADIATION SAFETY

ORIENTATION COURSE

Ionizing Radiation - can deposit energy in neighboring atoms resulting in the removal of

electrons.

NUCLEARRADIATION

X-RADIATION

Ionization of an Atom

Ionization of an Atom

BREMSSTRAHLUNG RADIATIONBREMSSTRAHLUNG RADIATIONBREMSSTRAHLUNG RADIATIONBREMSSTRAHLUNG RADIATION

1 ROENTGEN (R) = 2.58 X 10-4 coulombs kg

1 RAD (RAD) = 100 ergs per gram

1 REM (REM = 1 RAD X Q factor

Q factorsgamma & beta = 1thermal n = 2fast n = 10alpha = 20

FOR GAMMA & BETA RADIATION 1 ROENTGEN 1 RAD 1 REM

HALF LIFEHALF LIFE

TimeTime

11 ½½

Half Life is the length of time it takes forHalf Life is the length of time it takes fora amount of radioactive material to decaya amount of radioactive material to decayto one half it’s original amount.to one half it’s original amount.

DECAY EQUATION

At = A0 e -

At = activity at time tA0 = activity at time 0t½ = isotope half lifet = time from 0

0.693 t½

( ) t

ENVIRONMENTALENVIRONMENTALSOURCESSOURCES OFOF

RADIATIONRADIATION

COSMICCOSMIC

EARTHEARTH PEOPLEPEOPLE

Consumer ProductsConsumer Products

MEDICAL USES OFMEDICAL USES OFRADIOACTIVE MATERIALSRADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

ANDAND RADIATIONRADIATION

POTENTIAL POTENTIAL LATENTLATENT BIOLOGICAL BIOLOGICALEFFECTS DUE TO CHRONICEFFECTS DUE TO CHRONIC

RADIATION EXPOSURERADIATION EXPOSURE

GENETICGENETIC CANCERCANCER

ACUTE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS DUEACUTE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS DUETO RADIATION EXPOSURETO RADIATION EXPOSURE

X-RAY / GAMMAX-RAY / GAMMA EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

BETA EXPOSUREBETA EXPOSURE

TO MINIMIZE YOUR RADIATION EXPOSURETO MINIMIZE YOUR RADIATION EXPOSURE

AAS S LLOW OW AAS S RREASONABLY EASONABLY AACHIEVABLECHIEVABLE

ALARAALARAYOU WILL PRACTICEYOU WILL PRACTICE

PRINCIPLESPRINCIPLES

EXTERNAL EXPOSURE EXTERNAL EXPOSURE PROTECTION METHODSPROTECTION METHODS

TIMETIME

DISTANCEDISTANCE

SHIELDINGSHIELDING

TIMETIME

THE SHORTER THE TIME EXPOSED TO RADIATION,THE SHORTER THE TIME EXPOSED TO RADIATION,THE SMALLER THE RADIATION DOSE RECEIVED.THE SMALLER THE RADIATION DOSE RECEIVED.

DISTANCEDISTANCEAS YOU INCREASE THE DISTANCE FROM THE RADIATION SOURCE,AS YOU INCREASE THE DISTANCE FROM THE RADIATION SOURCE,THE RADIATION LEVELS DECREASE.THE RADIATION LEVELS DECREASE.

FOR A POINT SOURCE :FOR A POINT SOURCE :

mR/hrmR/hr11 mR/hrmR/hr22

(distance(distance22))22 (distance (distance11))22==INVERSE SQUARE LAWINVERSE SQUARE LAW

Distance

SHIELDINGSHIELDING

Biological Effects

Whole Body 5000 millirem/yrLens of Eye 15000 millirem/yrSkin 50000 millirem/yrExtremity 50000 millirem/yr

Minors 10% of AdultEmbryo/Fetus 500 millirem

100 millirem/yr

AUDIOAUDIO

RESETRESET

SELECTSELECT

CALIBRATIONCALIBRATION

BATTERIESBATTERIES

METER RESPONSEMETER RESPONSEPROBEPROBE

Lab Hygiene

Act like your Mother is Watching

Preparation •Designate and label areas for working with radioactive material

•Label all containers with a radioactive material label and specify the isotope• •No eating, drinking or smoking in the laboratory

•No mouth pipetting of radioactive material

Conducting the Research •Use spill trays and absorbent covering

•Use fume hoods for handling potentially volatile material

•Wear laboratory coat, disposable gloves, and laboratory safety glasses

•Use gloves appropriate for the chemicals to be handled

Post Research •Monitor and decontaminate surfaces as described in Chapter 7 of the Radiation Safety Manual

•Dispose of radioactive waste in waste containers in accordance with Appendix G in the Radiation Safety Manual.

•Ensure the container is labeled with a "Radioactive Material" label and specify the radioisotope in the container.

DESIGNATE AND LABEL RADIOACTIVE WORK AREAS

LABEL ALL CONTAINERS AND ITEMSPOTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED

Contamination Limits

Swipe test results

Laboratory Areas< 1000 DPM per 100 square cm

Unrestricted Areas (everywhere else)< 200 DPM per 100 square cm

PERFORM MONTHLY SURVEYS

MAINTAIN THE SECURITY OF

ISOTOPES, INCLUDING

RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Door between Food and Radiation

METHODS OF CONTAMINATION CONTROLMETHODS OF CONTAMINATION CONTROL

1. GLOVES1. GLOVES2. LAB COATS OR APRONS2. LAB COATS OR APRONS3. DECONTAMINATE3. DECONTAMINATE4. FUME HOODS4. FUME HOODS5. GLOVE BOX5. GLOVE BOX6. PROTECTIVE SUITS6. PROTECTIVE SUITS

11 22

33 44 55 66

PERSONALPERSONALEXPOSUREEXPOSURE

MONITORINGMONITORING

EXTERNALEXTERNAL

INTERNALINTERNAL

INTERNAL RADIATION EXPOSURE PROTECTION METHODS

CONTAINMENTPROTECTIVE CLOTHINGBIOASSAY PROGRAM

BIOASSAYBIOASSAYINTERNAL RADIATION MONITORINGINTERNAL RADIATION MONITORING

I-131 & I-125I-131 & I-125 H-3, C-14, S-35, P-32H-3, C-14, S-35, P-32

PRENATAL PRENATAL RADIATIONRADIATION EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

The University of KentuckyThe University of Kentuckylimits the dose to an embryo orlimits the dose to an embryo orfetus during the entire pregnancy,fetus during the entire pregnancy,due to occupational exposure of adue to occupational exposure of adeclared pregnant woman, todeclared pregnant woman, to500 millirem.500 millirem.

DECLARATION OF PREGNANCY

•IN WRITING TO THE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER

•WILL LOWER THE DOSE TO THE FETUS TO 5OO MILLIREM FOR THE TERM OF THE PREGNANCY

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

NOTIFY THE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICE WHEN:

A CONTAMINATION EVENT INVOLVES PERSONNEL

A SPILL IS GREATER THAN ~100 MICROCURIES

RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS ARE MISSING (INCLUDING WASTE)

FIRE, EXPLOSION, OR OTHER INCIDENT COULD SPREAD CONTAMINATION IN A RADIATION LAB