| 1. |
- Ören, Ünal, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of radioactive fragments in patients after radiological or nuclear emergencies using computed tomography and digital radiography.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6498 .- 0952-4746. ; 34:1, s. 231-247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A comparison has been carried out between standard-dose computed tomography, non-diagnostic computed tomography and digital radiography with respect to their suitability for detecting radioactive fragments associated with nuclear or radiological events such as debris from radiological dispersal devices. The purpose was to investigate if radiographic imaging is justified for the detection and localisation of radioactive fragments in affected patients.Fragments of uranium (U), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and volcanic ash with effective diameters ranging from (approximately) 100 to 700 μm were selected. The fragments were positioned at two different locations on an anatomical torso phantom and images were produced with standard-dose CT, non-diagnostic CT and digital radiography. Capsules with radionuclides of (137)Cs, (60)Co and (99m)Tc were also positioned in the phantom and the effective doses were estimated for radionuclide exposures as well as for standard-dose CT, non-diagnostic CT and digital radiography. For standard-dose CT and digital radiography, U, Cu and Fe fragments were detected in sizes down to 100-180, 250-300 and 300-400 μm respectively. For the non-diagnostic CT the results were 180-250 μm (for U), 300-400 μm (for Cu) and 400-500 μm (for Fe). The effective dose from the standard-dose CT, non-diagnostic CT and digital radiography was 5.6, 1.9 and 0.76 mSv. Corresponding doses from (137)Co, (60)Co and (99m)Tc positioned at the site of fragments were in the range of 0.07-0.1, 0.32-0.45 and 0.08-0.09 mSv per MBq during 24 h. We conclude that, for a number of gamma emitters with activity levels on the order of magnitude of megabecquerel, imaging using ionising radiation can be justified since the effective dose from the radionuclides will exceed the dose from the radiological examination.
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| 2. |
- Almén, Anja, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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Optimisation of occupational radiological protection in image-guided interventions: potential impact of dose rate measurements.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of radiological protection : official journal of the Society for Radiological Protection. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6498. ; 35:1, s. 47-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The optimisation of occupational radiological protection is challenging and a variety of factors have to be considered. Physicians performing image-guided interventions are working in an environment with one of the highest radiation risk levels in healthcare. Appropriate knowledge about the radiation environment is a prerequisite for conducting the optimisation process. Information about the dose rate variation during the interventions could provide valuable input to this process. The overall purpose of this study was to explore the prerequisite and feasibility to measure dose rate in scattered radiation and to assess the usefulness of such data in the optimisation process.Using an active dosimeter system, the dose rate in the unshielded scattered radiation field was measured in a fixed point close to the patient undergoing an image-guided intervention. The measurements were performed with a time resolution of one second and the dose rate data was continuously timed in a data log. In two treatment rooms, data was collected during a 6month time period, resulting in data from 380 image-guided interventions and vascular treatments in the abdomen, arms and legs. These procedures were categorised into eight types according to the purpose of the treatment and the anatomical region involved.The dose rate varied substantially between treatment types, both regarding the levels and the distribution during the procedure. The maximum dose rate for different types of interventions varied typically between 5 and 100mSvh(-1), but substantially higher and lower dose rates were also registered. The average dose rate during a complete procedure was however substantially lower and varied typically between 0.05 and 1mSvh(-1). An analysis of the distribution disclosed that for a large part of the treatment types, the major amount of the total accumulated dose for a procedure was delivered in less than 10% of the exposure time and in less than 1% of the total procedure time.The present study shows that systematic dose rate measurements are feasible. Such measurements can be used to give a general indication of the exposure level to the staff and could serve as a first risk assessment tool when introducing new treatment types or x-ray equipment in the clinic. For example, it could provide an indication for when detailed eye dose measurements are needed. It also gives input to risk management considerations and the development of efficient routines for other radiological protection measures.
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| 6. |
- Garnier-Laplace, Jacqueline, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing ecological effects of radionuclides : data gaps and extrapolation issues
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 24:4A, s. A139-A155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By inspection of the FASSET database on radiation effects on non-human biota, one of the major difficulties in the implementation of ecological risk assessments for radioactive pollutants is found to be the lack of data for chronic low-level exposure. A critical review is provided of a number of extrapolation issues that arise in undertaking an ecological risk assessment: acute versus chronic exposure regime; radiation quality including relative biological effectiveness and radiation weighting factors; biological effects from an individual to a population level, including radiosensitivity and lifestyle variations throughout the life cycle; single radionuclide versus multi-contaminants. The specificities of the environmental situations of interest (mainly chronic low-level exposure regimes) emphasise the importance of reproductive parameters governing the demography of the population within a given ecosystem and, as a consequence, the structure and functioning of that ecosystem. As an operational conclusion to keep in mind for any site-specific risk assessment, the present state-of-the-art on extrapolation issues allows us to grade the magnitude of the uncertainties as follows: one species to another > acute to chronic = external to internal = mixture of stressors > individual to population > ecosystem structure to function.
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| 7. |
- Hansson, Sven Ove
(författare)
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Ethics and radiation protection
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - : IOP Publishing. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 27:2, s. 147-156
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Some of the major problems in radiation protection are closely connected to issues that have a long, independent tradition in moral philosophy. This contribution focuses on two of these issues. One is the relationship between the protection of individuals and optimisation on the collective level, and the other is the relative valuation of future versus immediate damage. Some of the intellectual tools that have been developed by philosophers can be useful in radiation protection. On the other hand, philosophers have much to learn from radiation protectors, not least when it comes to finding pragmatic solutions to problems that may be intractable in principle.
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| 8. |
- Hansson, Sven Ove
(författare)
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Should we protect the most sensitive people?
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - : IOP Publishing. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 29:2, s. 211-218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) are based on a population average, rather than on the available data for subpopulations. From an ethical point of view, this approach is far from unproblematic. Strong reasons can be given in support of a right for each radiation-exposed person to have the best possible information about the risk to himself or herself, which is often group-specific information. Risk exposures have to be defensible from the perspective of each identifiable group for which a specific risk assessment can be made. Exposing a person to a high risk cannot be justified by pointing out that the risk to an average person would have been much lower. There are two major ways to protect a sensitive group: special standards for the group (differentiated protection) and general standards that are strict enough to protect its members (unified protection). Some major factors that are relevant for the choice between these two protective strategies are identified.
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| 9. |
- Hendry, Jolyon H, et al.
(författare)
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Human exposure to high natural background radiation : what can it teach us about radiation risks?
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 29:2A, s. A29-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Natural radiation is the major source of human exposure to ionising radiation, and its largest contributing component to effective dose arises from inhalation of (222)Rn and its radioactive progeny. However, despite extensive knowledge of radiation risks gained through epidemiologic investigations and mechanistic considerations, the health effects of chronic low-level radiation exposure are still poorly understood. The present paper reviews the possible contribution of studies of populations living in high natural background radiation (HNBR) areas (Guarapari, Brazil; Kerala, India; Ramsar, Iran; Yangjiang, China), including radon-prone areas, to low dose risk estimation. Much of the direct information about risk related to HNBR comes from case-control studies of radon and lung cancer, which provide convincing evidence of an association between long-term protracted radiation exposures in the general population and disease incidence. The success of these studies is mainly due to the careful organ dose reconstruction (with relatively high doses to the lung), and to the fact that large-scale collaborative studies have been conducted to maximise the statistical power and to ensure the systematic collection of information on potential confounding factors. In contrast, studies in other (non-radon) HNBR areas have provided little information, relying mainly on ecological designs and very rough effective dose categorisations. Recent steps taken in China and India to establish cohorts for follow-up and to conduct nested case-control studies may provide useful information about risks in the future, provided that careful organ dose reconstruction is possible and information is collected on potential confounding factors.
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| 10. |
- Högberg, Jonas, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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Radiation exposure during liver surgery after treatment with (90)Y microspheres, evaluated with computer simulations and dosimeter measurements.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of radiological protection : official journal of the Society for Radiological Protection. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6498. ; 32:4, s. 439-46
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose. Two patients with liver tumours were planned for a combined treatment, including surgery with preceding injections of β(-) radiation emitting (90)Y microspheres (SIRTEX(®)). The aim of this paper is to present a method of pre-surgical computer simulations of the absorbed dose rate on the surface of tumour tissue, combined with measurements of the actual absorbed dose rate on resected tissue, in order to estimate the absorbed dose to a surgeon's fingers during such surgery procedures. Methods and Materials. The dose rates from β(-) radiation on the surface of tumour tissue were simulated with the software VARSKIN(®)Mod2. The activity concentrations in tumours were estimated, based on SPECT/CT distribution studies of (99m)Tc-MAA and confirmed by SPECT/CT bremsstrahlung studies of (90)Y microspheres. The activity distributions were considered as homogeneous within the tumour regions. The absorbed dose rates at different tumour tissue spots were calculated based on measurements with thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLD) fastened on resected tissue. Results. The simulations showed a good agreement with the averaged absorbed dose rates based on TLD measurements performed on resected tissue, differing by 13% and 4% respectively. The absorbed dose rates at the measured maximum hotspots were twice as high as the average dose rates for both patients. Conclusion. The data is not sufficient in order to draw any general conclusions about dose rates on tumour tissue during similar surgeries, neither about the influence of dose rate heterogeneities nor about average dose rates. However, the agreement between simulations and measurements on these limited data indicate that this approach is a promising method for estimations of the radiation exposure to the surgeons' fingers during this kind of surgery procedure. More data from similar surgeries are necessary in order to validate the method.
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