Radiological Hazards

Instructional GoalTo help you understand the potential health hazards of radioactive sources that could be associated with a hazardous waste site.

Radiological Hazards

Detection of radiation is solely dependent on monitoring by instrument.

Safety First

In order to avoid exposure, it is important that worker realize the precautions that must be taken when dealing with radiological waste or sources.

Radiation Types

Non-ionizing radiation includes radiant heat, radio waves, ultraviolet radiation, and light.

– welding– laser instruments

RADIOACTIVE

Radiation Types

Ionizing radiation is radiation that has sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms.

– alpha– beta– gamma

Radiation Dosage

• Standard Radiation Units– Roentgen applies only to X‑rays and

gamma rays. – Rad measures Absorbed Dose; i.e.,

the amount of ionizing radiation (any type) absorbed into a material.

– Rem is the most commonly used unit of measure and is used for dose equivalence.

Dose Rates

• R/hr or mR/hr – mR/hr is 1/1000th or 10-3 of the

unit R/hr

• rad/hr or mrad/hr

• rem/hr or mrem/hr

Radiation Dosage

The same term as is found in toxicology: amount of exposure times the duration of exposure.

Dose=(quantity x time)

Chronic Dose

• small amounts of radiation over a long period of time

• the body can tolerate a chronic dose better than an acute dose

Acute Dose• greater effect on the

body as there is no time to repair or replaced damaged body cells

• acute doses over 500,000 mrem may cause so much damage that the body cannot recover.

Radiation Exposure

• Radiosensitivity describes how sensitive a given cell is to radiation damage.

• Cells considered most radiosensitive: – cells of the unborn child– blood and blood-producing organs– reproductive cells– digestive tract cells– immature white blood cells

Chronic Radiation Exposure

• involves low levels of ionizing radiation over a long period of time.

• possible effects: increased risk of developing cancer and cataracts.

Acute Radiation Exposure

• is the result of a large dose in a short period of time.

• possible effects: – lowering of the white blood cell count – nausea and vomiting– diarrhea– loss of appetite– reddening of the skin – fatigue– hair loss– possible sterility

AVERAGE ESTIMATED DAYS LOST DUE TO WORK ACTIVITIES

HEALTH RISK AVERAGE ESTIMATED DAYS LOST

Mining / Quarrying 328

Construction 302

Agriculture 277

Radiation dose of 5,000mrem/year for 50 years 250

Transportation/Utilities 164

All industry 74

Government 55

Service 47

Manufacturing 43

Trade 30

Radiation accidents(deaths from exposure) <1

Radioactive ContaminationFixed

– is not easily transferred from one place to another.

Transferable/Smearable– is easily removed; any object that makes contact with it

will in turn become contaminated.

NOTE: A health physicist should be consulted for proper decontamination procedures. The process for decontamination of radioactive materials is NOT the same as chemical decontamination.

Radiation Protection

• humans cannot sense if a material is giving off radiation

• radiation must be detected and measured using radiation monitoring equipment

• important to check each drum, container, or area for ionizing radiation

Best Radiation Protection

Prevention of Prevention of Contamination!Contamination!

ALARA

An acronym that represents the concept of reducing exposure to ionizing radiation

• As• Low• As• Reasonably• Achievable

Radiation Protection

Workers can apply three principles to protect themselves from ionizing radiation exposure:

Shielding

Distance

Time