ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF LOCAL SELF

GOVERNMENT

DELHI

“ Radiation Concepts for Paramedical”

DR.P.P.SINGH

By

Dr. P.P.SINGH

Faculty AIILSGD

Ex Medical Superintendent Cum Consultant pathologist HRH Delhi

Ex. Director India Population Project 8 Delhi..

SOURCE BOOKS OF AIILSGD.

RADIATION

MAN IS EXPOSED TO RADIATION RECEIVED FROM

OUTER SPACE ON THE EARTH. WHICH IS THE NATURAL

PART OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

MAN IS ALSO SUBJECTED TO INTERNAL RADIATION ,

I.E. FROM RADIO ACTIVE MATTER STORED IN BODY TISSUES

LIKE URANIUM , THORIUM STRONTIUM, CARBON ( C14).

ARTIFICIAL OR MAN MADE SOURCE OF RADIATION

ARE – X-RAYS, NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ETC.

* RADIO ACTIVITY IS THE DECOMPOSITION OF AN ATOM BY

EMISSION OF RADIANT ENERGY SUCH AS ALPHA, BETA,

GAMMA OR X-RAYS.

*RADIATION IS THE GIVING OFF OF ELECTROMAGNETIC

WAVES ON PARTICULAR RAYS.

EFFECT OF ACTION OF RADIATION.

*THESE ACT DIRECTLY ON CYTOPLASM OF CELL AND CAUSE

DE-NATURATION OF PROTEINS , AFFECTS THE NUCLEUS . THE

CELL DIVISION IS AFFECTED AND RESULTING CELL OF FUTURE

GENERATION ARE BADLY DAMAGES.

SOURCES OF RADIATION

1. NATURAL.

2. MAN- MADE.

NATURAL

A, COSMIC RAYS IN THE ATMOSPHERE –

MAJORITY ARE FILTERED BY AIR.

B, ATMOSPHERIC GASES – GASES LIKE

RADON, THORON .

C, TERRESTRIAL – RADIOACTIVE ELEMENT

FOUND IN MINES & ON EARTH SURFACE.

D, INTERNAL – ELEMENT WHICH ARE

DECOMPOSED IN BODY EG ISOTOPE OF CARBON.

MAN- MADE

A, OCCUPATION ;- URANIUM MINES , ATOMIC

POWER , X-RAY IN MEDICAL & INDUSTRIAL FIELD.

NATURAL SUBMARINES , MAKING LUMINOUS

WATCH DIALS, PRESERVATION OF FOOD

STERILIZATION OF DRUGS, TESTING PLASTICS ,

ABRASIVE ETC.

B, RADIOACTIVE FALL OUT. ;- NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS

RELEASES HIGH ENERGY , TEMPERATURE, HEAT LIGHT ,

RADIATION AND MANY ISOTOPES.

EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON HUMAN BODY:

FACTORS INFLUENCING ARE :-

1. TYPE OF RADIATION.

2.DOSE OF RADIATION.

3.TIME OF RADIATION.

4 EXPOSURE OF WHOLE BODY OR

PART.

5.DISTANCE FROM SOURCE OF

RADIATION.

6. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

RADIATION EXPOSURE MAY BE ACUTE OR

CHRONIC.

ACUTE EXPOSURE : LARGE DOSE OF SHORT

DURATION.

CHRONIC EXPOSURE : SMALL DOSE OVER LONG

PERIOD.

THE COMMON EFFECTS ARE:-

1. ACUTE RADIATION SYNDROME : 400-500

RADS.

2. OVERALL EFFECT : 50% DEATH AND 100% WILL

MANIFEST SICKNESS, NAUSEA, VOMITING, HAIR LOSS,

DIARRHOEA WITH BLOOD , ULCERS IN MOUTH , FEVER AND

DEATH

3.AN EXPOSURE TO DOSE OF 3000RADS – 100% WILL

DIE IN ONE WEEK.

CHRONIC EFFECTS:

1. THRESHOLD EFFECTS : TO THOSE A CERTAIN

MINIMUM DOSE IS GIVEN FOR TREATMENT . THE EFFECT ARE:

I– DECREASE IN BLOOD CELL,

II--GI EFFECT – NAUSEA , VOMITING ,

DIARRHOEA .

III--REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM – STERILITY,

ABORTION, DAMAGE

TO FETUS.

2. NON THRESHOLD EFFECT ARE:

I. GENES MUTATION.

II CANCER OF LUNG, BLOOD, SKIN,

THYROID ETC.

PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION :-

1. HEALTH PROMOTION

I, HEALTH EDUCATION REGARDING HANDLING X-RAY

MACHINE.

II, PERSONAL HYGIENE.

III, GOOD HOUSE KEEPING ( CLEAN ,TIDY AND NEAT).

2. SPECIFIC PROTECTION :

I, USING MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE.

II, AVOIDANCE OF INDISCRIMINATE USE.

III, USE LEAD APRONS, GOGGLES.

IV, DECREASING TIME OF EXPOSURE.

V, USING SHIELD AND KEEPING DISTANCE.

VI, ENCLOSING PROCEDURE TOTALLY.

3. EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.

PUBLIC HEALTH CHECK UP – BY FILM BADGE (

DOSIMETER) AND BLOOD CELL EXAMINATION .

MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE – CANNOT BE

DISCHARGED IN AIR OR STREAM , SPECIAL TREATMENT

LIKE PRECIPITATION OR STORAGE IN CEMENT CONCRETE

BOX AND DISPOSED IN DEEP SEA.

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES INVOLVED IN RESEARCH IN

RADIATION – 1. W H O.

2. IAEA ( INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY

AGENCY)

3.ICRP (INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON

RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION.

MEASUREMENT OF RADIATION

THERE ARE THREE WAYS;-

1. ROENTGEN – IT IS THE EXPOSURE UNIT IF AMOUNT

OF RADIATION ABSORB IN AIR AT GIVEN POINT I.E. NUMBER

OF IONS PRODUCED IN 1 ML OF AIR.

2. RAD – IT IS THE UNIT OF ABSORBED DOSE PER

GRAM OF TISSUE OR ANY MATERIAL 1 MRAD = 0.001.

3. REM – IT IS MODIFYING FACTOR .THE REM

INDICATES THE DEGREE OF POTENTIAL DANGER TO HEALTH.

( WHERE RAD AND REM ARE EQUAL RADIATION IS

HIGHLY PENETRATING.)

INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS

1. COULOMB PER KILOGRAM (C/KG) =

ROENTGEN 2.58X10-4CKG. ( UNITS OF

EXPOSURE)

2. GRAY (GY) = RAD 1 RAD = 0.01GY (UNIT OF

ABSORBED DOSE)

3.SIEVERT (SV) = REM . 1 SV = 100 REM

PENETRATIVE POWER OF DIFFERENT RAYS:-

COMMON ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATIONS.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPROXIMATE PENETRATING ABILITY

TYPE OF RADIATION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AIR TISSUE LEAD

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1. ALPHA PARTICLES 4 CM 0.05 CM 0

2. BETA PARTICLE 6 – 300 CM 0.06-4.0 CM 0.005 – 0.3MM.

3. GAMMA RAYS 400 MTS 15 – 30 CM 30 MM.

4. X RAYS 120 – 420 MTS 15 – 30 CM 0.3 MM.

5. COSMIC RAYS SOME COMPONENTS VERY HIGH

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SOURCE : LITTLE J.B.( 1966) N.ENG.J.OF MED. 275-929