SCI 1901E - Energy
Chapter Objectives - Chapter 15: Effects and Uses of Radiation
Lesson notes:
During this lesson we will discuss various aspects of ionizing radiation including uses and harmful effects.
Objectives:
1. Understand and be able to discuss the biological effects of ionizing radiation.
2. Understand and be able to discuss the sources of background radiation.
3. Understand the origin, pathways and hazards associated with radon gas.
4. Understand the key factors that influence radiation dose, and the radiation protection standards established by law in the United States.
5. Be familiar with uses of radiation in medicine and industry.
Vocabulary:
exposure
somatic effect
absorbed dose
genetic effect
quality factor
acute radiation syndrome
hematopoietic syndrome
central nervous syndrome
gastrointestinal syndrome
dose equivalent
dose response curve
roentgen
cosmic rays
rad and gray
terrestrial radiation
rem and sievert
internal radiation
diagnostic radiology
therapeutic radiology
nuclear medicine
time, distance and shielding
Homework:
TQ: 15-1, 15-4, 15-5, 15-7, 15-10 (but use 500 x 10-6 deaths/rem/person), 15-11
Text errata:
Page 515, 6th line of Section E: Change "genetic effect risk" to "risk of radiation induced cancers and genetic effect risk."
Page 515, 7th through 10th lines of Section E: Be sure you understand that the author is discussing the history of the development of radiation dose standards. The radiation dose values given in this discussion are NOT the current regulatory standards.
Page 516, 10th line of text: Change "good" to "healthy."
Page 516, 3rd from last line of text: Change "100 rem" to "100 rad." The rem is a unit used in radiation protection; it has no meaning at dose levels this high.
Page 517, Table 15.6: Iodine-131 is rarely, if ever, used to diagnose disease. It is used primarily to destroy cancerous tissue in the thyroid gland.
Page 518, first sentence: Iodine-131 is rarely, if ever, used today in nuclear medicine for imaging (tracer). The most commonly used radionuclide in nuclear medicine is technetium-99m.
Page 522, 8th line: The term "half-value layer" has meaning only when applied to x-ray or gamma-ray attenuation. It does not apply to alpha or beta radiations.
Page 526-7, Table 15-7. The table is incomplete. It does not account for radon (the major source of natural background dose) or internal radiation.
Additional sources of information:
Eric J. Hall, Professor of Radiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, provides an essay, "Radiation and Life".
The Radiation and Health Physics Page, maintained by the University of Michigan, provides a detailed discussion of natural sources of radiation.
Los Alamos National Laboratory provides a background radiation calculator.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains a site providing information on indoor radon.
An article by Cassandra C. Moore, "Should Homeowners Consider the Radon Threat a False Alarm?", which originally appeared in Insight magazine, is provided by the Cato Institute.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides an article that discusses the radioactivity releases from coal-fire electric generating plants.
The Centers for Disease Control provides background on the acute radiation syndrome.
Links to laws and regulations concerning radiation at provided by the Radiation and Health Physics Page maintained by the University of Michigan.
The Health Physics Society's position statement on radiation risk is provided at this link.
Radswiki provides a site devoted to radiology.
General Electric sponsors a site that provides a radiation risk calculator for medical procedures.
Idaho State University provides a site the provides information on food irradiation as does the Centers for Disease Control.
Last update: April 28, 2009