Journal of Radiation Protection and Research最新文献

{"title":"Analysis of the Activities of the Website “Question and Answer about Radiation in Daily Life” after the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and Some Lessons Learned from It: To Pass on This Experience to the Future","authors":"Takahiko Kono, Masato Tanaka, Hitomi Tanaka, M. Shimo, H. Torii, Kazuko Uno","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00346","url":null,"abstract":"After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, artificial radionuclides such as radioactive cesium and iodine were released into the environment. It caused great anxiety not only in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant but also in other regions of the world. Some members of the Japan Health Physics Society (JHPS), a leading academic society in Japan in the field of radiation protection, volunteered to establish a website called “Question and Answer (Q&A) about radiation in daily life” shortly after the accident to help reduce the residents’ anxiety about the health effects of radiation. In August 2011, “Committee for Q&A about radiation in daily life” was established in JHPS, making the website-related activities a responsibility of JHPS. The Q&A website continued to respond to the questions from the general public with expertise and sincerity until February 2013 when the Committee members decided to end the activities because the number of questions received had gradually decreased with the passage of time. This paper aims to introduce the following: the activities of the Q&A website during the two years (2011–2013), the stance chosen for the activities, the information related to the website activities and the analysis of Twitter data. Building on the experience and the knowledge obtained from the activities, it also discusses issues and experiences that can be utilized in the initial response to emergencies for radiation protection experts as well as those in other fields.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76985689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Evaluation of a Thimble-Like Head Bolus Shield for Hemi-Body Electron Beam Irradiation Technique","authors":"W. Shin, Sung Young Lee, Hyeong-min Jin, Jeong-Hee Kim, S. Kang, Jung-in Kim, Seongmoon Jung","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2022.00010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2022.00010","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The hemi-body electron beam irradiation (HBIe–) technique has been proposed for the treatment of mycosis fungoides. It spares healthy skin using an electron shield. However, shielding electrons is complicated owing to electron scattering effects. In this study, we developed a thimble-like head bolus shield that surrounds the patient’s entire head to prevent irradiation of the head during HBIe–.Materials and Methods: The feasibility of a thimble-like head bolus shield was evaluated using a simplified Geant4 Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. Subsequently, the head bolus was manufactured using a three-dimensional (3D) printed mold and Ecoflex 00-30 silicone. The fabricated head bolus was experimentally validated by measuring the dose to the Rando phantom using a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) detector with clinical configuration of HBIe–.Results and Discussion: The thimble-like head bolus reduced the electron fluence by 2% compared with that without a shield in the MC simulations. In addition, an improvement in fluence degradation outside the head shield was observed. In the experimental validation using the inhouse- developed bolus shield, this head bolus reduced the electron dose to approximately 2.5% of the prescribed dose.Conclusion: A thimble-like head bolus shield for the HBIe– technique was developed and validated in this study. This bolus effectively spares healthy skin without underdosage in the region of the target skin in HBIe–.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87116741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bias-corrected Hp(10)-to-Organ-Absorbed Dose Conversion Coefficients for the Epidemiological Study of Korean Radiation Workers.","authors":"Areum Jeong, Tae-Eun Kwon, Wonho Lee, Sunhoo Park","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2022.00052","DOIUrl":"10.14407/jrpr.2022.00052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The effects of radiation on the health of radiation workers who are constantly susceptible to occupational exposure must be assessed based on an accurate and reliable reconstruction of organ-absorbed doses that can be calculated using personal dosimeter readings measured as <math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math> and dose conversion coefficients. However, the data used in dose reconstruction contain significant biases arising from a lack of reality and could result in an inaccurate measure of organ-absorbed doses. Therefore, this study quantified the biases involved in organ dose reconstruction and calculated the bias-corrected <math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math>-to-organ-absorbed dose coefficients for the use in epidemiological studies of Korean radiation workers.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Two major biases were considered: (1) the bias in <math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math> arising from the difference between the dosimeter calibration geometry and the actual exposure geometry and (2) the bias in air kerma-to-<math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math> conversion coefficients resulting from geometric differences between the human body and slab phantom. The biases were quantified by implementing personal dosimeters on the slab and human phantoms coupled with Monte Carlo method and considered to calculate the bias-corrected <math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math>-to-organ-absorbed dose conversion coefficients.</p><p><strong>Results and discussion: </strong>The bias in <math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math> was significant for large incident angles and low energies (e.g., 0.32 for right lateral at 218 keV), whereas the bias in dose coefficients was significant for the posterior-anterior (PA) geometry only (e.g., 0.79 at 218 keV). The bias-corrected <math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>p</mtext></msub><mo>(</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></math>-to-organ-absorbed dose conversion coefficients derived in this study were up to 3.09-fold greater than those from ICRP publications without considering the biases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The obtained results will aid future studies in assessing the health effects of occupational exposure of Korean radiation workers. The bias-corrected dose coefficients of this study can be used to calculate organ doses for Korean radiation workers based personal dose records.</p>","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10503397/pdf/nihms-1923473.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10652410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role and Collaboration of Radiation Protection Experts: Summary of Discussions between the Japan Health Physics Society and the Korean Association of Radiation Protection Related to Tritiated Water","authors":"M. Sasaki, H. Yoshida, M. Kai, Y. H. Jeong, Kyo-Youn Kim, Hee-Seock Lee","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00360","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75082753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceptions of Residents in Relation to Smartphone Applications to Promote Understanding of Radiation Exposure after the Fukushima Accident: A Cross-Sectional Study within and outside Fukushima Prefecture","authors":"Y. Kuroda, Jun Goto, H. Yoshida, Takeshi Takahashi","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00073","url":null,"abstract":"Background: We conducted a cross-sectional study of residents within and outside Fukushima Prefecture to clarify their perceptions of the need for smartphone applications (apps) for explaining exposure doses. The results will lead to more effective methods for identifying target groups for future app development by researchers and municipalities, which will promote residents’ understanding of radiological situations. Materials and Methods: In November 2019, 400 people in Fukushima Prefecture and 400 people outside were surveyed via a web-based questionnaire. In addition to basic characteristics, survey items included concerns about radiation levels and intention to use a smartphone app to keep track of exposure. The analysis was conducted by stratifying responses in each region and then cross-tabulating responses to concerns about radiation levels and intention to use an app by demographic variables. The intention to use an app was analyzed by binomial logistic regression analysis. Text-mining analyses were conducted in KH Coder software. Results and Discussion: Outside Fukushima Prefecture, concerns about the medical exposure of women to radiation exceeded 30%. Within the prefecture, the medical exposure of women, purchasing food products, and consumption of own-grown food were the main concerns. Within the prefecture, having children under the age of 18, the experience of measurement, and having experience of evacuation were significantly related to the intention to use an app. Conclusion: Regional and individual differences were evident. Since respondents differ, it is necessary to develop and promote app use in accordance with their needs and with phases of reconstruction. We expect that a suitable app will not only collect data but also connect local service providers and residents, while protecting personal information.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84659433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validation of a Model for Estimating Individual External Dose Based on Ambient Dose Equivalent and Life Patterns","authors":"R. Sato, K. Yoshimura, Y. Sanada, Tetsuro Sato","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00290","url":null,"abstract":"Background: After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident, a model was developed to estimate the external exposure doses for residents who were expected to return to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted. However, the model’s accuracy and uncer-tainties in parameters used to estimate external doses have not been evaluated. Materials and Methods: The model estimates effective doses based on the integrated ambient dose equivalent ( H * (10)) and life patterns, considering a dose reduction factor to estimate the indoor H * (10) and a conversion factor from H * (10) to the effective dose. Because personal dose equivalent ( H p (10)) has been reported to agree well with the effective dose after the FDNPS accident, this study validates the model’s accuracy by comparing the estimated effective doses with H p (10). The H p (10) and life pattern data were collected for 36 adult participants who lived or worked near the FDNPS in 2019. Results and Discussion: The estimated effective doses correlated significantly with H p (10); however, the estimated effective doses were lower than H p (10) for indoor sites. A comparison with the measured indoor H * (10) showed that the estimated indoor H * (10) was not underesti-mated. However, the H p (10) to H * (10) ratio indoors, which corresponds to the practical conversion factor from H * (10) to the effective dose, was significantly larger than the same ratio outdoors, meaning that the conversion factor of 0.6 is not appropriate for indoors due to the changes in irradiation geometry and gamma spectra. This could have led to a lower effective dose than H p (10). Conclusion: The estimated effective doses correlated significantly with H p (10), demonstrating the model’s applicability for effective dose estimation. However, the lower value of the effective dose indoors could be because the conversion factor did not reflect the actual environment.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91212100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation Dose Distribution of a Surgeon and Medical Staff during Orthopedic Balloon Kyphoplasty in Japan","authors":"K. Ono, Takafumi Kumasawa, K. Shimatani, Masatoshi Kanou, I. Yamaguchi, N. Kunugita","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00304","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The present study investigated the radiation dose distribution of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) among surgeons and medical staff, and this is the first research to observe such exposure in Japan.Materials and Methods: The study subjects were an orthopedic surgeon (n = 1) and surgical staff (n = 9) who intervened in BKP surgery performed at the National Hospital Organization Disaster Medical Center (Tokyo, Japan) between March 2019 and October 2019. Only disposable protective gloves (0.022 mmPb equivalent thickness or less) and trunk protectors were used, and no protective glasses or thyroid drapes were used.Results and Discussion: The surgery time per vertebral body was 36.2 minutes, and the fluoroscopic time was 6.8 minutes. The average exposure dose per vertebral body was 1.46 mSv for the finger (70 μm dose equivalent), 0.24 mSv for the lens of the eye (3 mm dose equivalent), 0.11 mSv for the neck (10 mm dose equivalent), and 0.03 mSv for the chest (10 mm dose equivalent) under the protective suit.The estimated cumulative radiation exposure dose of 23 cases of BKP was calculated to be 50.37 mSv for the fingers, 8.27 mSv for the lens, 3.91 mSv for the neck, and 1.15 mSv for the chest.Conclusion: It is important to know the exposure dose of orthopedic surgeons, implement measures for exposure reduction, and verify the safety of daily use of radiation during surgery and examination.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82229397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Derivation of External Exposure Characteristics of Industrial Radiography Based on Empirical Evidence","authors":"Junik Cho, Euidam Kim, Tae-Eun Kwon, Yoonsun Chung","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00423","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00423","url":null,"abstract":"Background: This study aims to derive the characteristics of each work type for industrial radiography based on empirical evidence through expert advice and a survey of radiation workers of various types of industrial radiography.Materials and Methods: According to a Korean report, work types of industrial radiography are classified into indoor tests, underground pipe tests, tests in a shielded room (radiographic testing [RT] room test), outdoor field tests, and outdoor large structure tests. For each work type, exposure geometry and radiation sources were mainly identified through the expert advice and workers’ survey as reliable empirical evidence.Results and Discussion: The expert advice and survey results were consistent as the proportion of the work types were high in the order of RT room test, outdoor large structure test, underground pipe test, outdoor field test, and indoor test. The outdoor large structure test is the highest exposure risk work type in the industrial radiography. In most types of industrial radiography, radiation workers generally used 192Ir as the main source. In the results of the survey, the portion of sources was high in the order of 192Ir, X-ray generator, 60Co, and 75Se. As the exposure geometry, the antero-posterior geometry is dominant, and the rotational and isotropic geometry should be also considered with the work type.Conclusion: In this study, through expert advice and a survey, the external exposure characteristics for each work type of industrial radiography workers were derived. This information will be used in the reconstruction of organ dose for health effects assessment of Korean radiation workers.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82400394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation Monitoring in the Residential Environment: Time Dependencies of Air Dose Rate and 137Cs Inventory","authors":"K. Yoshimura","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00199","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Residential areas have some factors on the external exposure of residents, who usually spend a long time in these areas. Although various survey has been carried out by the government or the research institutions after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the mechanism of radiocesium inventory in the terrestrial zone has not been cleared. To better evaluate the radiation environment, this study investigated the temporal changes in air dose rate and 137 Cs inventories (Bq/m 2 ) in residential areas and agricultural fields. Materials and Methods: Air dose rate and 137 Cs inventories were investigated in residential areas located in an evacuation zone at 5–8 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. From December 2014 to September 2018, the air dose rate distribution was investigated through a walking survey (backpack survey), which was conducted by operators carrying a γ -ray detector on their backs. Additionally, from December 2014 to January 2021, the 137 Cs inventories on paved and permeable grounds were also measured using a portable γ -ray detector. Results and Discussion: In the areas where decontamination was not performed, the air dose rate decreased faster in residential areas than in agricultural fields. Moreover, the 137 Cs inventory on paved surfaces decreased with time owing to the horizontal wash-off, while the 137 Cs inventory on permeable surfaces decreased dramatically owing to the decontamination activities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the horizontal wash-off of 137 Cs on paved surfaces facilitated the air dose rate decrease in residential areas to a greater extent compared with agricultural fields, in which the air dose rate decreased because of the vertical migration of 137 Cs. Results of this study can explain the faster environmental restoration in a residential environment reported by previous studies.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84855608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calculation of an Indicator for Early Death Using Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Data","authors":"M. Sasaki, Y. Fujimichi, Kazuo Yoshida, T. Iwasaki","doi":"10.14407/jrpr.2021.00108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00108","url":null,"abstract":"Background: A comprehensive, traceable, and easy-to-understand radiation risk indicator is desired for radiological protection. The early-onset hypothesis could be used for this purpose.Materials and Methods: An indicator for early death (IED) was developed and calculated using the epidemiological dataset from the 14th Report of the Life Span Study (LSS) of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By clarifying the calculation process, IED for all-cause mortality was estimated. In addition, the characteristics of IED for solid cancer mortality and cardiovascular mortality as well as those of men and women, and their dependence on age at exposure were investigated for detailed analysis.Results and Discussion: The IED for all-cause mortality was estimated to be approximately 4 years for an acute radiation exposure of 1 Gy regardless of the fitting dose range. The cumulative death rate for all solid cancers also indicated the early-death tendency (approximately 7–10 years at 1 Gy). Although, there is a slight difference in the characteristics of the risk obtained from the LSS study and this study, it is considered that the IED in a unit of years can also be used to show the overall picture of risk due to radiation exposure.Conclusion: We developed and calculated the indicator for early death, IED, for the cumulative mortality rate of all causes of death, all solid cancers, and circulatory diseases. The quantitative values of IED were estimated to be 4 years for all causes of death, 7–10 years for all solid cancers. IED has an advantage for intuitively understanding the meaning of radiation risk since it can be obtained by a simple and traceable method.","PeriodicalId":36088,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiation Protection and Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79625224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}