Introduction To Radiation Protection Kyle Thornton RADL 70

History November 8, 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered invisible rays that created a glow on a barium platinocyanide screen He spent the next seven weeks experimenting, and working on his observation, sleeping and eating in his lab

History Shortly after Roentgen’s discovery, Henri Becquerel began experimenting with uranium slates Marie Curie selected Becquerel’s “spontaneous radioactivity” for her doctoral research To this day, her notebooks are radioactive

History Roentgen received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901 The Curies and Becquerel shared the Nobel Prize in 1903 Marie Curie received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911

History Edison developed the early fluoroscope after testing 8,000 substances First clinical x-rays in the US were used at Dartmouth College, 1896 Early radiographers used their own hand to test the strength of the beam

History In 1910, doctors decided that medical radiology should become a specialty due to use by inexperienced and incompetent persons Early users and patients suffered burns, hair loss, and even death from misuse of radiation Clarence Daly, Thomas Edison’s assistant died from radiation induced cancer in 1904 –First US fatality –This nearly caused Edison to cease his experiments

History X-rays were misused by many for: –Party or curiosity displays –To treat various diseases: Ringworm Large thymus in children Facial hair Epilepsy Radiation burns Check fit of shoes

History Rollins, an early radiologist advocated radiation protection He worked to improve the radiographic image and generators Among his recommendations were: diaphragms, lead tube housings, long SID, two screens, shutters, pulsed fluoro, and leaded glass on the fluoro screen

Personal Radiation Dose Where You Live –Cosmic radiation at sea level - 26 mrem/yr –Add this number of mrems if: 1000 ft. 2, ft. 5, ft. 9 –Add 46 mrems for terrestrial radiation –Add 7 if you live in a brick, stone, or concrete building

Personal Radiation Dose What you eat and drink –Food and water - add 40 mrem –From air (radon) - add 200 mrem

Personal Radiation Dose How you live –Weapons test fallout - add 1 –Jet plane travel - add 1 for every 1000 miles you travel –Porcelain crown or false teeth - add.07 –If you use gas lantern mantles when camping - add.003 –If you wear a luminous wristwatch - add.06 –If you use luggage inspection at airport - add.002

Personal Radiation Exposure How you live –If you watch TV - 1 mrem –If you use a video display terminal - 1 mrem –If you have a smoke detector mrem –If you have a plutonium-powered pacemaker mrem –If you had any medical x-ray exposures - add 40 –If you have had any nuclear med. Procedures - add 14 –If you live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant - add.009 –If you live within 50 miles of a coal-fired electrical utility plant - add.03 What’s your total???