Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation

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Apuntes de la lección

Background Radiation

  • Background radiation is around us all of the time and comes from both natural and man-made sources.
  • Natural sources include rocks and cosmic rays from space.
  • Man-made sources include fallout from nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents.
  • The level of background radiation and the radiation dose a person receives can be affected by their occupation and/or location.
  • Some areas of the world have higher background radiation because they are closer to sources of radiation.
  • All living things emit a small amount of radiation — the amount within a banana is tiny and not at all dangerous.
  • Background count rate must be subtracted from measured count rates to give the corrected count rate.

Radiation Dose and Regulation

  • The amount of radiation received by a person is called the dose, measured in sieverts (Sv).
  • One sievert is a very big dose and would cause acute radiation poisoning.
  • People normally receive about 3 mSv (0.003 Sv) in one year.
  • The UK limit for nuclear industry employees is 20 mSv in one year.
  • A dosemeter (radiation badge) is worn by radiographers and anyone working with radiation to track the dose they receive.
  • Exposure is regulated because ionising radiation can damage cells and tissues.

Dangers of Radiation

  • Ionising radiation can damage human cells and tissues, causing tissue damage and mutations.
  • High-energy radiation such as gamma rays and X-rays can damage healthy tissue if not properly targeted.
  • If atoms in a DNA strand are ionised, the DNA can be damaged; the cell may die or the DNA may be mutated when it reforms.
  • If a mutated cell replicates, a tumour may form — this is cancer, a significant danger of radiation exposure.
  • Acute radiation exposure can cause skin burns and reduce white blood cells, lowering the immune system and making a person more susceptible to infections.

Handling Radiation Safely

  • Radioactive sources should be kept in a shielded container when not in use, such as a lead-lined box.
  • Sources should be handled with gloves and tongs to increase the distance from the body.
  • Protective clothing may be worn to prevent the body becoming contaminated.
  • The time a radioactive source is used for should be limited.
  • After using a source, hands should be washed, and the date and time of use recorded.

Contamination and Irradiation

  • Contamination is the unwanted presence of materials containing radioactive atoms on other materials — the material becomes radioactive.
  • Contamination often happens due to a radiation leak, and is almost always a mistake or accident.
  • Irradiation is the process of exposing a material to α, β or gamma radiation; it does not make the material radioactive.
  • Irradiation can kill living cells, so it is used to sterilise surgical equipment and food.
  • Contamination is more dangerous than irradiation because it causes continuous exposure to radiation.
  • Contamination is especially dangerous if a source gets inside the body, irradiating internal organs as it moves through.
  • Lead-lined suits reduce irradiation by absorbing radiation, while airtight suits prevent contamination by stopping radioactive atoms entering the body.

Half-Life and Risk

  • The half-life is the time taken for the activity of a radioactive source to decrease to half of its original value.
  • Different isotopes have very different half-lives: francium-218 is about 1 millisecond, polonium-210 about 140 days, and uranium-235 about 700 million years.
  • A short half-life means nuclei decay quickly, emitting a lot of radiation in a short time — a greater risk of irradiation.
  • If only a small amount is used, a short half-life is advantageous because the material quickly loses its radioactivity.
  • A long half-life means a sample decays slowly but stays radioactive for a very long time — a greater risk of contamination.
  • Radioactive waste with a long half-life is buried underground to prevent release into the environment.

A half-life graph

A half-life graph

Medical Tracers

  • A tracer is a radioactive isotope used to track the movement of substances, such as blood, around the body.
  • Gamma emitters are usually used because gamma rays are highly penetrating and can pass out of the body to be detected externally, creating an internal image.
  • Iodine-131 is an example of a radioactive tracer.
  • Gamma rays are less ionising than some other radiation, so harm to the patient is minimised.
  • The amount of isotope used is kept to a minimum to reduce exposure.
  • Isotopes are chosen with short half-lives of around a few hours — long enough for the procedure but not so long as to cause long-term harm.
  • Because of short half-lives, isotopes must be produced nearby or they would decay too much before reaching the hospital.

PET Scanning

  • In PET scanning, positrons are emitted by the decay of the tracer.
  • The positrons travel a small distance and annihilate when they interact with electrons in the tissue.
  • This annihilation produces a pair of gamma rays (gamma photons) which can be detected outside the body.
  • PET scanners are used to diagnose cancer and determine the location of a tumour.

Radiotherapy

  • Radiotherapy is the treatment of cancer using radiation (chemotherapy uses chemicals).
  • Radiation can kill living cells, and some cells — such as bacteria and cancer cells — are more susceptible than others.
  • During external radiotherapy, beams of gamma rays are directed at the tumour; gamma is used because it can penetrate the body to reach the tumour.
  • The beams are moved around to minimise harm to healthy tissue while still targeting the tumour.
  • Surrounding healthy tissue is often shielded to avoid damage.
  • During internal radiotherapy, small pellets of radioactive material are inserted into the tumour, exposing it directly to radiation.

Other Uses of Radiation

  • α particles are used in smoke detectors: they ionise the air to create a current, and when smoke blocks the α emitter the current stops and the alarm triggers.
  • β particles are used to measure the thickness of thin materials such as paper, cardboard or aluminium foil.
  • β is used because it is partially absorbed — if α were used it would all be absorbed, and if gamma were used almost all would pass through with no detectable difference.
  • As material gets thicker, more β particles are absorbed and fewer reach the detector; if it gets thinner, the opposite happens, allowing thickness to be kept constant.
  • Gamma radiation is used to sterilise medical equipment because it is the most penetrating, irradiating all sides of instruments — even through packaging.
  • Food can be irradiated to kill microorganisms, making it last longer and reducing food-borne infections.
  • Radiation is also used to determine the age of ancient artefacts.

Evaluating Risk and Peer Review

  • The hazards of radioactive material differ according to the half-life involved.
  • The use of radiation in medicine carries risk, but the benefits can outweigh the risks — the risks from radiation are smaller than the risks of leaving a condition untreated.
  • When evaluating risk, compare the potential dangers with the benefits, using given data.
  • Some people worry about the safety and nutritional value of irradiated food.
  • Scientific communities must be independent of government influence so their conclusions are trusted.
  • Restaurants must clearly mark meals containing irradiated ingredients so people can make informed choices.
  • Peer review is important when publishing findings on radiation risk.

Diapositivas

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Preguntas de práctica

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  1. 1.What is meant by the term 'background radiation'?

    Easy
    • ARadiation that is present in the environment all of the time
    • BRadiation emitted only by nuclear power stations
    • CRadiation given to a patient during a medical scan
    • DRadiation that is deliberately released during a nuclear accident
  2. 2.Which of the following are sources of background radiation? (select all that apply)

    Medium
    • ARocks
    • BCosmic rays from space
    • CFallout from nuclear weapons testing
    • DA medical tracer injected into a patient
    • EA smoke detector in a home
  3. 3.All background radiation is man-made.

    Easy

    True or false?

  4. 4.Which of the following is a man-made source of background radiation?

    Easy
    • ARadon gas from rocks
    • BCosmic rays from space
    • CFallout from nuclear weapons testing
    • DFood and drink
  5. 5.Which statement correctly describes contamination?

    Medium
    • AThe unwanted presence of materials containing radioactive atoms on other materials
    • BThe process of exposing a material to α, β or gamma radiation
    • CThe time taken for the activity of a radioactive source to halve
    • DThe amount of radiation received by a person
  6. 6.Irradiating a material makes that material radioactive.

    Easy

    True or false?

  7. 7.Which of the following is the correct definition of irradiation?

    Medium
    • AThe process of exposing a material to α, β or gamma radiation
    • BThe unwanted presence of radioactive atoms on a material
    • CThe time taken for the activity of a source to halve
    • DThe amount of radiation a person receives
  8. 8.Match each term to its correct definition.

    Medium
    • Contamination
    • Irradiation
    • Half-life
    • The process of exposing a material to α, β or gamma radiation
    • The time taken for the activity of a radioactive source to halve
    • The unwanted presence of materials containing radioactive atoms on other materials

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