Safety Of Radiation Sources Research Articles

Applicability of 'Toolkit for Safety Assessment' tool to interventional radiology using probabilistic risk assessment techniques.

Interventional radiology brings extensive benefits to patients. Nevertheless, certain procedures may result in high doses of radiation, leading to health risks to occupationally exposed individuals (OEIs). Therefore, a more comprehensive risk analysis is essential to ensuring safety and minimising radiation exposures for all OEIs. The Toolkit for Safety Assessment (TOKSA) tool performs risk assessments based on the concepts described in 'General Safety Requirements' Part 3 (Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards) and Part 4 (Safety Assessment for Facilities and Activities). This tool was developed based on the 'Ibero-American Forum of Radiological and Nuclear Regulatory Agencies' risk models and can promote the use of the risk assessment processes by OEIs. The aim of this study was to experimentally analyse the applicability of the TOKSA tool in interventional radiology with the use/support of probabilistic risk assessment techniques. The results were used to reduce the risks associated with a hemodynamics room in a hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

WEO Newsletter.

WEO Newsletter.

On the issue of the development of legislative and regulatory provision of the radiation safety of the public

After the publication of ICRP Publication 103 in 2007 and IAEA Basic Safety Standard “Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards. General safety requirements Part 3” in 2014, there is an ongoing process in the Russian Federation on the harmonization of the norms of the radiation safety and basic rules on the provision of the radiation safety with the international requirements. According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation № 585 “On the establishment of the basis of the governmental policy in the field of the provision of nuclear and radiation safety in the Russian Federation in the period up to 2025 and the future perspective” and the Plan of the execution of the “basis of the governmental policy…”, approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation №139-r, 02.02.2019, a work has been initiated on the development of the changes and additions into the Federal State Laws № 170-FZ “On the use of the nuclear energy” and № 3-FZ “On the radiation safety of the public”. For the successful execution of the mission it is necessary to develop joint inter-agency workgroups with the parallel development of the changes and additions to the № 170-FZ. №3-FZ, NRB and OSPORB.

National Radon Action Plans in Europe and Need of Effectiveness Indicators: An Overview of HERCA Activities.

Protection of the population and of workers from exposure to radon is a unique challenge in radiation protection. Many coordinated actions and a variety of expertise are needed. Initially, a National Radon Action Plan (NRAP) has been developed and implemented by some countries, while it is currently recommended by international organizations (e.g., World Health Organization) and required by international regulations, such as the European Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom and the International Basic Safety Standards on Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources, cosponsored by eight international organizations. Within this framework, the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) have organized activities aimed at sharing experiences to contribute toward the development and implementation of effective NRAPs. Two workshops were held in 2014 and 2015, the latter on radon in workplaces. As a follow-up to these, an online event took place in March 2021, and a second specific workshop on NRAP is planned for June 2022. These workshops were attended by experts from the competent authorities of European countries, relevant national and international organizations. The experience of several countries and the outcomes from these workshops have highlighted the need for adequate indicators of the effectiveness and progress of the actions of NRAPs, which could also be useful to implement the principle of optimization and the graded approach in NRAPs. In this paper, the activities of HERCA to support the development and implementation of effective NRAPs are described and some examples of effectiveness indicators are reported, including those already included in the NRAP of some European countries.

Knowledge management: the tool of the conceptual map in the evaluation of a seminar on safety and security

Knowledge management: the tool of the conceptual map in the evaluation of a seminar on safety and security

I181] Patient radiation exposure monitoring in medical imaging

Purpose The IAEA GSR Part 3, Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards has placed requirements on managing patient exposure from medical uses of ionizing radiation. These pertain to performing and documenting dosimetry of patients following internationally accepted or nationally accepted protocols, determining typical doses to patients for common diagnostic radiological procedures and for image guided interventional procedures, and performing regular local assessments, based on the measurements, for those radiological procedures for which Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) have been established. Methods The IAEA Technical meetings held in April 2015 and June 2016 requested from the IAEA to prepare a publication that provides consolidated information and guidance on patient radiation exposure in medical imaging for improved patient protection. The publication is in preparation by a group of experts, involving also representatives of international organizations and WG 28 (Physics) of DICOM. Results The document will offer a comprehensive delineation of metrics used for patient exposure data across multiple imaging modalities, including relevant acquisition parameters, exposure and dose indicators, organ doses, and the derived risk related quantities. Strategies for recording and collecting of these metrics using coding systems with a view towards ensuring data accuracy and integrity will be explicitly addressed. Considering the significant need for meaningful systematic analyses of exposure data, the document will delineate strategies on how the exposure data should be evaluated, analyzed, and understood for use towards optimization of radiation protection of patients in medical imaging. The analysis includes the methods for establishing DRLs and typical doses and trends towards improved operational consistency. It further addresses ascertaining exposure information for individual patients for error investigation and tracking exposure history for individualized justification and optimization. In addition to metrology and analysis, the document will offer description of electronic and manual strategies for data management and workflow, as well as the needed features, access, and interface for effective utilization of patient exposure data monitoring systems, considering the needs and constraints of less-resourced countries. Conclusions It is expected that the publication will support the implementation of the BSS requirements.

Radiation protection of children – From standards to practice

The new International Basic Safety Standards on Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources (the BSS), published in 2014, identifies two particular groups of patients for special consideration with respect to justification and optimization: patients who are pregnant or are children. Owing to the higher radiosensitivity of the embryo or fetus, knowledge about the pregnancy status of a female patient is useful before a diagnostic or therapeutic radiological procedure is performed. Similarly, as children are at greater risk of incurring radiation-induced stochastic effects, paediatric examinations or procedures necessitate special consideration in the justification process. Once judged appropriate, the procedure should be optimized to manage the radiation dose to the patient commensurate with the medical purpose. For medical radiological equipment used for performing radiological procedures on children, there should be additional design features that both facilitate successful radiological procedures on patients who may be uncooperative and suit the imaging of very small patients. Special attention should be given to developing protocols for children adapted to body size and age, from neonates to teenagers. As a tool for optimization of patient protection, the BSS requires that diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for paediatric patients are established and used. IAEA is supporting countries/regions in their effort to implement the international requirements, by providing information, guidelines and practical tools. The current projects under the Technical Cooperation (TC) program also include actions to support Member states in strengthening their actions on radiation protection of children.

Dose limits to the lens of the eye: International Basic Safety Standards and related guidance

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety requirements: 'General Safety Requirements Part 3--Radiation protection and safety of radiation sources: International Basic Safety Standards' (BSS) was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors at its meeting in September 2011, and was issued as General Safety Requirements Part 3 in July 2014. The equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations was reduced from 150 mSv year(-1) to 20 mSv year(-1), averaged over defined periods of 5 years, with no annual dose in a single year exceeding 50 mSv. This reduction in the dose limit for the lens of the eye followed the recommendation of the International Commission on Radiological Protection in its statement on tissue reactions of 21 April 2011. IAEA has developed guidance on the implications of the new dose limit for the lens of the eye. This paper summarises the process that led to the inclusion of the new dose limit for the lens of the eye in the BSS, and the implications of the new dose limit.

Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources

Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources

International Basic Safety Standards – Protecting people and the environment

An interim edition of the IAEA Safety Requirements document: “Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards” (BSS) was published in November 2011. The revision of the BSS was coordinated by a BSS Secretariat consisting of representatives of the IAEA, FAO, EC, ILO, UNEP, PAHO, WHO and NEA/OECD. The BSS takes into account the Fundamental Safety Principles, the findings of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the 2007 recommendations of the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) and other applicable ICRP statements and publications. This paper provides an overview of the revised BSS, including requirements on preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency and to remediation of areas contaminated by residual radioactive material following a nuclear or radiological emergency.

Global nuclear law in the making?

The revision process of the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS), Safety Series No. 115, 1996 (hereinafter referred to as 1996 BSS1) has reached its final stage. After the review of the 1996 BSS in 2005, the revision process started in 2006 and the final draft of the revised BSS2 was submitted to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA or Agency) in August 2011 for approval. Subsequent to the decision of the IAEA Board of Governors adopted on 12 September 2011, the competent organs of the other potential sponsoring organisations also started to adopt or acknowledge, as appropriate, the text, which then will come into force one year after the date of the respective adoption or acknowledgement by the relevant organisation.

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TH-A-BRA-02: Review of the Radiobiological Principles of Radiotherapy and Radiation Protection

The radiobiological principles underlying radiation protection guidelines will be reviewed, analyzing the published results of the effects of ionizing radiation at the cellular level, in animal experiments and, especially,in epidemiological studies. Human data on radiation induced cancer and genetic effects published by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) and the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) Committee,with their latest estimates of risk per unit dose, will be presented. The dose response of normal tissues will be discussed, including effects on the developing embryo and fetus. The recent draft of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) on Early and late effects of radiation in normal tissues and organs: threshold doses for tissue reactions and other non‐cancer effects of radiation in a radiation protectioncontext,which includes follow up times much longer than those common in radiotherapy (up to 20 to 40 versus 5 to 10 years) for some tissues, will be introduced. In particular, the current information on acute and chronic radiation syndromes, as well as the newly proposed threshold doseof 0.5 Gy for cataract induction and cardiovascular effects, will be examined. The impact of these newly proposed threshold values on the development of radiation protection guidelines and standards, especially in the forthcoming International Basic Safety Standards on Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of RadiationSources(BSS),will be evaluated. The units and their values used in radiation protection, and the operational units used for measurements, will be presented. The concepts of equivalent dose vs dose equivalent as well as the term effective dose, the Sv unit, and the radiation and tissue weighting factors will be explained and illustrated. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the radiobiological basis of radiation protection standards. 2. To distinguish between stochastic and deterministic effects. 3. To define the radiation protection magnitudes and units, their values and their practical measurement.

Two decades of radiological accidents direct causes, roots causes and consequences

Practically all Countries utilize radioisotopes in medicine, industry, agriculture and research. The extent to which ionizing radiation practices are employed varies considerably, depending largely upon social and economic conditions and the level of technical skills available in the country. An overview of the majority of practices and the associated hazards will be found in the <A HREF="#tabela4">Table IV</A> to <A HREF="#tabela7">VII</A> of this document. The practices in normal and abnormal operating conditions should follow the basic principles of radiation protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources, considering the IAEA Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety Series 120 and the IAEA Recommendation of the Basic Safety Standards for Radiation Protection, Safety Series Nº 115. The Standards themselves underline the necessity to be able to predict the radiological consequences of emergency conditions and the investigations that should need to be done. This paper describes the major accidents that had happened in the last two decades, provides a methodology for analyses and gives a collection of lessons learned. This will help the Regulatory Authority to review the reasons of vulnerabilities, and to start a Radiation safety and Security Programme to introduce measurescapable to avoid the recurrence of similar events. Although a number of accidents with fatalities have caught the attention of the public in recent year, a safety record has accompanied the widespread use of radiation sources. However, the fact that accidents are uncommon should not give grounds for complacency. No radiological accident is acceptable. From a radiation safety and security of the sources standpoint, accident investigation is necessary to determine what happened, why, when, where and how it occurred and who was (were) involved and responsible. The investigation conclusion is an important process toward alertness and feedback to avoid careless attitudes by improving the comprehension of Safety Performance and Safety Culture. Accident investigation is the first step toward avoiding future injures and financial losses, by prevention of recur recurrence. On the other hand, accident investigation is also essential for the establishment of the responsibilities and liability for the consequences. This document discuss the main accidents that have happened in the last two decades, in terms of causes, consequences, similarities and lessons learned when sealed sources have been damaged, lost, stolen and abandoned. In considerable majority death and serious injuries were resulted from failures in the safety system for radiation sources and for the security of radioactive materials.

Study on examinee's dose delivered in computed tomography

Dose profiles are presented resulting from computed tomography (CT). Theprofiles are positioned at the central axis, 1 cm away from the outer surfaceof the phantom, for single and multiple scans. A Hitachi W-1000 scanner isused with a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD), and standard dosimetry head andtrunk phantoms. Regression equations are found linking the dose resulting fromscattered radiation associated with a single scan to the distance from thescanning centre. The impact on the CT dose index value (CTDI) for varyingintegrating lengths is analysed. Some problems associated with CT dosemeasurement are noted, which may assist in the practical application of IBSS(International Basic Standard of Radiation Protection and Safety of RadiationSources) guide levels.

Safety of Radiation Sources and Security of Radioactive Materials, Proceedings Series,

Decontamination and Decommissioning Program Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue, Building 362 Argonne, IL 60439 (The opinions expressed in this section are those of the authors and do not represent the official opinion or position of the Journal, the Health Physics Society, or the authors’ institutions.)

Radiation Protection Issues of Auger Electron Emitters

Radionuclides that emit Auger electrons are widely used in nuclear medicine and biomedical research. If the radionuclide is part of a chemical compound which binds to DNA or preferentially enters the cell nucleus, the biological effects of the Auger electrons can be as severe as from high LET alpha particles. Neither the recommendations of the Intemational Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in Publication 60, nor the Intemational Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources provide any detailed guidance on how to calculate the equivalent dose for these radionuclides. Recently, however, a Task Group of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has proposed that the component of dose from the Auger electrons for radionuclides bound to DNA should be given a preliminary radiation weighting factor of 10 for deterministic effects and 20 for stochastic effects. The dose equivalent calculated with these weighting factors must be modulated by experimentally determined subcellular distributions of the Auger electron emitters.