Experimental investigation of commercially available lead composite aprons used for diagnostic X-rays

Abstract

One of the principal diagnostic methods used in all fields of medical services is radiographic examination. To keep the radiation dose received by hospital personnel under normal working conditions as low as reasonably achievable, lead composite apron shields are provided as valuable aids. Intensive use of these accessories could lead to softening and surface defects due to poor handling and being worn-out over time, giving rise to multiple defects across the entire apron. Without routine control, these lead aprons will, within time, contribute significantly to the over-radiation burden to the wearer. However, local defects are highly likely to lead to gross changes in the radiation dose received by the wearer. For this reason, we evaluate the exposure dose resulting from diagnostic X-ray radiation during different imaging procedures. In this study, we used TLD LiF-700 chips to measure the attenuation percentage for four groups of commercial lead composite aprons and to calculate the effective doses to different organs during diagnostic radiological procedures. The results show the importance of lead composite aprons in minimizing effective doses, and the attenuation percentage varied for different vendors; this is due to variations in the constituent material. The average attenuation for lead composite aprons varies from 93.3% to 96.7%, and the average attenuation (%)/weight varies from 16.7% to 20.5%. Acceptance testing of lead composite aprons is essential to ensure that lead composite aprons meet their manufacturers’ specifications and provide the necessary radiation protection for their intended use. The combined and expanded uncertainties accompanying these measurements are 2.78% and 5.57%, respectively.