Table of Contents
- 1 What do you think are the risks involved in working with radiation?
- 2 Why do you need to protect yourself when working with sources of radiation?
- 3 What is the best way to protect yourself from radiation?
- 4 What materials can block radiation?
- 5 Does radiation shorten your life?
- 6 What do you need to know about radiation effects?
- 7 Why do we need to protect healthcare workers from radiation?
What do you think are the risks involved in working with radiation?
Exposure to very high levels of radiation, such as being close to an atomic blast, can cause acute health effects such as skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness”). It can also result in long-term health effects such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Why do you need to protect yourself when working with sources of radiation?
Shielding: Barriers of lead, concrete, or water provide protection from penetrating gamma rays. Gamma rays can pass completely through the human body; as they pass through, they can cause damage to tissue and DNA. and x-rays. X-rays are capable of passing completely through the human body.
How can sources of radiation be good to one’s health?
It is used in medicine to diagnose illnesses, and in high doses, to treat diseases such as cancer. Also, high doses of radiation are used to kill harmful bacteria in food and to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Radiation produces heat that is used to generate electricity in nuclear power reactors.
How do workers protect themselves from radiation?
Workers can be exposed either to artificial radiation or naturally occurring radioactive material. To protect them against such an exposure, some concrete steps can be taken. These include regular monitoring, protective equipment, or countermeasures such as shielding.
What is the best way to protect yourself from radiation?
In general, alpha, beta, gamma and x-ray radiation can be stopped by:
- Keeping the time of exposure to a minimum,
- Maintaining distance from the source,
- When appropriate, placing a shield between yourself and the source, and.
- Protecting yourself against radioactive contamination by using proper protective clothing.
What materials can block radiation?
Materials that block gamma radiation:
- Lead aprons and blankets (high density materials or low density materials with increased thickness)
- Lead sheets, foils, plates, slabs, pipes, tubing, bricks, and glass.
- Lead-Polyethylene-Boron Composites.
- Lead sleeves.
- Lead shot.
- Lead walls.
- Lead putties and epoxies.
What are 3 examples of natural sources of radiation humans are exposed to?
Natural radiation sources
- Cosmic radiation. The earth’s outer atmosphere is continually bombarded by cosmic radiation.
- Terrestrial radiation. The composition of the earth’s crust is a major source of natural radiation.
- Inhalation.
- Ingestion.
- Natural radiation doses.
- Cosmic radiation.
- Terrestrial radiation.
- Inhalation.
How can you protect yourself from harmful radiation?
Does radiation shorten your life?
“Rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, are more affected by radiation therapy than normal cells. The body may respond to this damage with fibrosis or scarring, though this is generally a mild process and typically does not cause any long-term problems that substantially affect quality of life.”
What do you need to know about radiation effects?
Radiation is simply a form of energy, like light, heat and sound, according to the Health Physics Society. But the type of radiation used in healthcare is a bit more complex than that. The radiation used in radiology procedures is an emission given off by unstable (or radioactive) atoms that are trying to reach stability.
What can I do to reduce my exposure to radiation?
Inserting the proper shielding (e.g., lead, concrete, or special plastic shields depending on the type of radiation) between a worker and a radiation source will greatly reduce or eliminate the dose received by the worker.
How does an employee know if they are exposed to radiation?
Employees wear their dosimeters throughout the workday, which measure and record their radiation exposure, according to Dr. Greg Cumberford, Alberta-based dentist. If an employee nears maximum radiation levels, “she or he would be removed from duties that involve radiation,” Cumberford says.
Why do we need to protect healthcare workers from radiation?
We know, according to OSHA, that the degree of exposure depends on a number of factors, such as the amount of radiation, the duration of exposure, the distance from the source and the type of shielding in place. That’s why these protection measures are recommended to limit healthcare workers’ radiation exposure: