Health physics最新文献

In the case of an emergency exposure situation, in addition to the immediate measures to stop the release, there is also a need for measures to analyse the potential intakes of radionuclides among emergency personnel and the directly affected population. This catalogue of requirements could serve as a basis for the development of regulations in the event of emergency exposure situations and intends to refer, in particular, to the responsibilities and tasks, an estimate of the material and personnel requirements, and the metrological requirements. We present the catalogue that was developed by the working group "Monitoring of Intakes" of the German-Swiss Association for Radiation Protection taking into account German regulations.

Background: The study examined the levels of knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward medical radiation among patients, household members, and clinicians. The radiation knowledge gap among healthcare providers and the community may pose challenges to radiation safety, particularly regarding informed decision-making and adherence to radiation protection principles and safety culture.

Methods and materials: A quantitative cross-sectional study using a descriptive approach was conducted in Tanzania among clinicians, patients who were prescribed for radiological examination, and household members who did not visit hospital during data collection period. Participants were sampled using a convenient systematic method.

Results: Results revealed that both patients and household members had low knowledge and awareness about medial radiation. However, they demonstrated a strong positive attitude toward the use of radiation in medicine indicating trust in healthcare practices despite limited understanding. In contrast, clinicians showed high levels of knowledge and awareness highlighting their essential role safe and effective use of radiation as justification principles demand.

Conclusion: Improving public knowledge and awareness about medical radiation is essential to compliment the positive attitude observed and to enhance radiation safety practices in hospitals. Strengthening education and communication between healthcare providers and the community will play a vital role in promoting informed decision-making and ensuring effective radiation protection for all.

Experimentally measured nuclear fragment-production cross-sections are needed for the development of cross-section models implemented in the radiation transport codes used for several endpoints, including radiation protection and health risk assessment in space. Elemental and isotopic fragment-production cross-section data have been collected from literature in a publicly available database through a combined GSI-ESA-NASA effort. The collected data for systems of interest for space exploration are discussed, and the literature gaps are indicated. The data are also compared with the nuclear fragmentation models implemented in the NASA radiation transport code HZETRN2020, namely NUCFRG3 and RAADFRG. The results show that NUCFRG3 does not take into account nuclear-structure effects, while RAADFRG does. Therefore, RAADFRG can estimate more precisely the production of certain projectile fragments, in particular helium. Nevertheless, for some systems and high energies, RAADFRG overestimates the oscillations due to odd-even effects.

With the ICRP Publication 137 dealing with the occupational intake of radionuclides, an important and crucial path toward the practical implementation of the dosimetric approach also for radon was undertaken. However, some problems and difficulties must be overcome to use this new method to estimate the effective dose of radon in real situations. Direct dosimetric calculations are often not an easy task. The ICRP Publication 137 gives some examples of this new approach by providing the coefficients of the effective dose per exposure for some typical workplaces. In this work, some practical examples of the effective dose calculation in some selected workplaces were performed, studying the most important factors affecting the results. In particular, the role of the equilibrium factor F and of the dose conversion factor (DCF) as a function of the particulate size distribution were investigated and discussed. In this context, a few direct measurements of the equilibrium factor F were done as well as an experimental supporting tool for a comprehensive dose assessment.

Nuclear reaction cross-sections are needed for Monte Carlo and deterministic radiation transport codes used for ion therapy and radiation protection in space. A GSI-ESA-NASA combined effort generated a free and publicly available nucleus-nucleus reaction cross-section database. Nevertheless, protons - the main component of solar particle events and galactic cosmic ray fluences in space - account alone for over 60% of the effective dose behind thick shields in space and are used in 88% of the cancer-treatment ion-therapy centers worldwide. Therefore, in the present work, proton-projectile data have also been included. These data are compared to the reaction cross-section models used in radiation transport codes, including the models of Tripathi-Cucinotta-Wilson, Hybrid-Kurotama, Kox, Shen, and Kox-Shen. The Tripathi-Cucinotta-Wilson model uses the Tripathi99 model for low-Z projectile ions and the Tripathi96 model for other projectiles. The Hybrid-Kurotama model is based on the Black Sphere formula at high energies, which, for proton data, is smoothly connected to the Tripathi99 model at low energies. It is found that the Tripathi99 and Hybrid-Kurotama models best fit the proton-projectile data.

The concepts of risk tolerability and the search for reasonableness are central to the implementation of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) system of radiological protection. For a given exposure situation, it is necessary to ask whether the doses received (or potentially received) by those exposed can be considered tolerable with regard to the radiation-induced risk (consistent with the principle of application of dose limits). In addition, it should be assessed whether all exposures are maintained or reduced as low as reasonably achievable taking into account economic, societal, and environmental factors (consistent with the principle of optimization of protection). Relying on the ethical foundations of the ICRP system (i.e., Publication 138), ICRP Task Group 114 (TG114) is engaged in a critical reflection on the history, definitions, roles, scope, and application of "tolerability" and "reasonableness" in the context of radiological protection. In developing and articulating a revised framework for tolerability and reasonableness, focusing on the achieved level of protection and the concept of well-being, consideration has been given to application of this framework in different contexts. This paper provides a brief overview of the motivation and current work of TG114 and highlights key points for the application of the proposed revised framework in three contexts: i.e., medicine, emergency and recovery after a nuclear accident, and the nuclear sector.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has played a critical role in the development and establishment of contemporary radiation safety standards, beginning with its safety standards program launched in 1958. These standards have been developed and/or reviewed in continuous cooperation with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. This long-lasting partnership ensures that the latest scientific findings are integrated into international safety standards, fostering global harmonization. In 2021, the ICRP announced a review and potential revision of the system of radiological protection, which could lead an update of 2007 Recommendations (ICRP Publication 103) and called for cooperation and discussion among all relevant international stakeholders. Since then, numerous discussions among radiation protection professionals worldwide have taken place at key international meetings and events, focusing on the proposed changes and highlighting the need for further dialogue and cooperation in potential future revision. Any changes to the system will have consequences that must be carefully considered and justified. Potential revisions should be thoroughly evaluated to ensure they enhance the safety for the public, workers, patients, and the environment, while maintaining the system's stability and respecting national and regional specificities. The IAEA's work on providing for application of the current set of IAEA safety standards in its Member States aims to ensure that safety standards remain relevant, effective, and also adaptable to emerging challenges. It is important to stress the need for cooperation among all relevant international stakeholders to maintain the system's global applicability. Reviews of this work indicate that the current system is robust and effective, but with challenges primarily related to the way and feasibility of implementation and interpretation of safety standards rather than associated with the system itself.

This paper aims to discuss some of the challenges (and opportunities) associated with NORM and sustainability. Practical examples are used to demonstrate that the strict application of operational quantities, such as exemption values or surface contamination limits, can restrict the use of products that could be used in an unrestricted manner from a risk-based perspective. This can lead to the devaluation of material goods, such as phosphogypsum, radioactively contaminated scrap, and lead-containing 210Pb, among others, which clash with the objectives of the circular economy and thus also sustainability. The paper exemplifies the linkages between radiation protection and sustainability and aims to open a discussion on the adverse social and economic effects of the current practice. This is particularly relevant given the further development of the radiation protection system initiated by ICRP. Some preliminary ideas for this discussion are described.

Computed tomography is acknowledged as the most widely used imaging technique in both adults and children. Although computed tomography offers valuable diagnostic information, it contributes to a high radiation dose and poses relatively high risks of stochastic effects to patients. Stochastic risks are of special concern in pediatric imaging since children are more vulnerable to effects of ionizing radiation than adults. Therefore, the justification of pediatric computed tomography examinations is of paramount importance to critically weigh the benefits of computed tomography against the individual detriment. This study evaluates the current radiological justification for pediatric computed tomography in Kenya and propose strategies to enhance justification. An extensive literature review on pediatric computed tomography justification was explored based on the international guidelines of ICRP and IAEA and individual publications. The foundation of the review focused on the 3 A's: awareness, appropriateness, and audits as tools to ensure proper justification. The recommendations and guidelines proposed in this study can guide in the implementation of the 3 A's in the country.

This paper summarizes the presentations and panel discussion held at Plenary Session 1 of the 16th IRPA International Congress/69th Health Physics Society Annual Meeting, in Orlando, FL, in July 2024. Plenary Session 1 discussed the basics of the systems of radiological protection (RP) for ionizing radiation (IR) and non-ionizing radiation (NIR) and included five presentations and a panel discussion. Rodney Croft, Chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), delivered the first presentation. Croft introduced the System of RP for NIR and provided an overview of ICNIRP's coverage and current areas of work. Werner Rühm, Chair of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), delivered the second presentation. He gave an overview of the System of RP for IR and covered the key principles of justification, optimization, and dose limitation, including the current plans of ICRP toward the envisaged revision of the System of RP. The third speaker, Sigurður Magnús Magnússon, from the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), provided the perspective of the RP professionals on the development of the Systems of RP for IR and NIR. Emilie van Deventer, from the World Health Organization (WHO), presented WHO's views of both Systems of RP and discussed the relevant current activities of WHO with regard to IR and NIR. Kathryn Higley, President of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), delivered the final presentation. Higley outlined the history of NCRP, the differences between ICRP and NCRP, and discussed the role of the NCRP in the System of RP, including NCRP's role to analyze mechanisms of interaction of NIR with biological systems, including humans. The session concluded with a fruitful panel discussion, where the audience had the opportunity to ask the five invited speakers questions.