RADIATION SAFETY AND

PROTECTIVE MEASURES
NEED FOR RADIATION PROTECTION

TWO SOURCES OF IONIZING RADIATION:

• NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL OR BACKGROUND
RADIATION
Example: cosmic radiation, radioactive elements, and
other radioactive substances

• HUMAN-MADE RADIATION
Example: Nuclear Weapon, radioactive materials, and
medical and dental x-ray exposure
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements

• Established as a nonprofit organization by the United States

Congress in 1964.

• The NCRP is composed of scientific committees the

members of which are experts in their particular field or
area of interest.
NCPR functions:

• To provide information and recommendations in the public

interest about radiation measurements and protection.
• To allow a pooling of resources from organizations to facilitate
studies in radiation measurements and protection.
• To develop basic concepts about radiation protection and
measurements and to develop the applications of these
concepts.
• To cooperate with international governmental and private
organizations with regard to radiation measurements and
protection.
Radiation Measurements

• In the early days, persons who worked with x-rays used a unit of
measure called the erythema dose.
• Erythema, which means redness of the skin.
• However, the erythema dose lacked preciseness and accuracy.
• Units of measurement:
• gray (Gy) for absorbed dose
• sievert (Sv) for effective dose
• Becquerel (Bq) used in nuclear medicine
Effective Dose Limits

• The phrase, as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), is the basis

for the NCRP establishment of policies and procedures for
radiation exposure.
• The primary goal of radiation protection of the individual is to
keep exposure to a level below which adverse effects may be
apparent during the lifespan as well as to keep exposure to the
population gene pool as low as reasonable.
BIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION

The two basic types of cells are

• GERM CELLS, which are responsible for sexual reproduction.
Germ cells contain 23 chromosomes, and they are able to
function with one half of the normal number of 46
chromosomes because of their specialization, and
• SOMATIC CELLS, which perform all other body functions.
Somatic cells must carry on many different functions and
cannot survive or function normally without maintaining 46
chromosomes.
Acute Radiation Syndrome

• Short-term Effects - appear in minutes, hours, days, or weeks .

• Occurs when a very large dose is received by the entire body
over a short time period.
• It is a total-body response to a large dose received over a short
time period and that it is characterized by short-term biologic
effects.
Long-Term Effects

• Divided into two categories:

(1) somatic effects
(2) genetic effects

• Long term effects may not become apparent for period of 1 to

30 years and therefore are difficult to assess as being
specifically radiation induced.
Somatic Effects

• Birth defects
• Carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agent
• Cataracts
• Decreased life span
Genetic Effects
• Genetic effects are the second category associated with the long-
term biologic effects of ionizing radiation.
• Genetic effects occur in the germ cells, which are responsible for
sexual reproduction.
• When radiation damages a chromosome of a male sperm or a
female egg, the possibility of transmitting a mutation or distorted
genetic information to future generations occurs.
• Some of the biologic effects are theories established from early
unprotected use of radiation and laboratory findings in animals.
SOURCES OF EXPOSURE

• The two sources of medical radiation exposure are x-rays and

radionuclides.
• X-rays are considered an external source, and
• radionuclides are an internal source.
PATIENT PROTECTION

• Learning the philosophy, factors, and methods that minimize

ionizing radiation exposure to the patient is the responsibility
of the radiologic technologist.
• Exposure Factors (kVp, mAs, distance)
• Filtration
• Grids
• Collimation
• Repeat Exposures
• Gonadal Shielding
PERSONNEL PROTECTION
• During fluoroscopy, stand back from the x-ray table several feet unless
you must attend to the patient or assist the radiologist.
• When performing portable radiography, use the exposure cord all the
way out to its distance of 6 feet.
• The safest place is in a shielded booth. If unavailable, a portable shield
should be used to ensure protection.
• Should wear lead apron, gloves, and protective glasses.
• A monitoring device should be worn by all radiologic technologists.
• If no monitoring device - record the date, time, technique, number of
exposures.
• The restraining individual MUST stand out of the primary beam of
radiation to minimize the radiation exposure received.