Radiological Emergencies

Radiological Emergencies
John C. White, CNMT RSO The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Course Instructor John C. White, CNMT, RSO Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist Radiation Safety Officer President, Health Physics Society North and South Texas 30 years experience with radioactives and radiation A/TC WMD Working Group The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

This lesson will discuss:
Introduction This lesson will discuss: Basic Radiation Principles Perspectives on Risk Radiological Incident Sources Radiological Incident Response The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Main Objectives: To gain a better understanding about radiation and radioactivity To provide an understanding of the harmful effects of radiation on the human body How to safely respond to an emergency involving radioactive materials The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radiation and Risks Radiation exposure Radiation is everywhere and can be found in many forms Some are very harmful to the human body Radiation injuries can take a long time to present. But when they do, it is usually in the form of cancer or birth defects The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

What Is Radiation ? Energy In the form of: Waves  Particles …
Non-ionizing Ionizing What are the first thoughts that come to mind when you hear the word radiation? We need to understand that there are two types of radiation: Non-ionizing and ionizing.

Non-ionizing Radiation Does Not Have Enough Energy to Remove Electrons From Surrounding Atoms
1. Discuss what non-ionizing radiation is and explain our current state of knowledge on health effects associated with non-ionizing radiation. 2.Discuss briefly the fact that we have lasers on-site that are sources of non-ionizing radiation.

Types of Radiation Non-ionizing radiation *Note*:
Waves of energy. Large wavelength Low frequency Non-ionizing radiation comes from ultraviolet and infrared energy waves *Note*: This type of radiation causes “sunburn” and is not a major concern for the hazmat responder

Energy Spectrum The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Types of Radiation Ionizing radiation Energy emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles from the nucleus or electron cloud of an atom Energy produced: Alpha particles Beta particles Gamma or X rays Neutrons All of these sources may cause damage at the cellular level The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Ionizing Radiation Energy Can Be Deposited in Neighboring Atoms Resulting in the Removal of Electrons.  alpha x-ray neutron High Frequency Small Wavelength 1.Briefly describe what a alpha, beta, gamma, x ray and neutron. beta gamma ray

Alpha Radiation Alpha radiation Alpha particles will travel inches in air and cannot penetrate the outer layer of skin Alpha particles can invade the body by other means, such as: Injection Inhalation Ingestion Absorption The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Alpha Radiation Not an external risk
Densely ionizing (internal exposure) Easily shielded by skin, clothing, etc. Internal risk

Beta Radiation Beta radiation Beta particles can travel 3 to 100 feet and may penetrate the skin. * A firefighters gear can deflect beta particles Personnel can be exposed through: Inhalation Ingestion Injection Absorption Penetration The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Beta Radiation Can penetrate thin sheets of aluminum and skin
External skin hazard Internal hazard, like alpha, through ingestion, inhalation or injection

Gamma Radiation Gamma radiation. Gamma radiation is a naturally occurring or man-made high energy electromagnetic wave. It has a high penetrating power and can travel at the speed of light. Gamma rays will penetrate the skin and can cause injury to internal organs. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Gamma Radiation Gamma Radiation Effects Routes of entry into the body Ingestion Inhalation Injection Absorption Penetration The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Gamma Radiation External and internal hazard
Best shielded with dense materials (e.g., lead or concrete) Will easily penetrate Level A PPE Easily detected

Neutron Radiation High Speed Particle – No electrical charge Can travel hundreds of feet in air Can easily penetrate Level A PPE External hazard Best shielded w/materials that are hydrogen rich (elastic collisions) The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

RADIOLOGICAL HAZARD PAPER ALPHA PARTICLE SKIN BETA PARTICLE Penetration capability of types of radiation EXERCISE 1 – DIFFERENCE IN SHIELDING LEAD GAMMA RAYS Neutron The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Common Sources of Radiation
Radon - 55% Other < 1% Consumer Products - 3% Nuclear Medicine - 4% Rocks, Soil - 8% Cosmic Rays - 8% X-rays - 11% Water, Food - 11% The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Definitions: (For Purposes of Emergencies, R=RAD=REM)
Roentgen (R) (C/Kg) A unit of exposure: the amount of ionizing radiation (energy) produced in a specific volume of air Radiation absorbed dose (RAD) (Gy) A unit of absorbed dose: the amount of energy absorbed in a given volume of material. Radiation equivalent in man (REM) (Sv) A unit of dose equivalent: the amount of radiation that has been absorbed times a quality factor (biological effects)

Units of Measurement 2.58 x 10-4 C /kg-1 = 1 R 1 R = 0.97 Rad (tissue)
0.97 Rad x 1 = 0.97 Rem Therefore: 1R ~ 1 Rad ~ 1 Rem 1 R = 1000 mR (milliRem)

Definitions: Activity - the rate at which radioactive materials emit radiation The number of nuclear disintegrations occurring in a given quantity of material per unit of time – usually referred to as dps or cpm A curie (Ci) is the number of radioactive atoms that will decay and emit radiation in one second, not a function of weight of volume The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

International Units -A Curie (Ci) is 37 billion disintegrations per second 3.7 x 1010 dps = 1 curie (Ci) or 1000 millicuries -A Becquerel (Bq) is 1 dps 1 Bq = 27 pCi = Ci The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Definitions Radioactivity Ionizing energy spontaneously emitted by a material or combination of materials. Radioactive material One that spontaneously emits ionizing radiation Radioactive contamination Radioactive material in an unwanted place Internal / external The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Units of Measurement Curie A unit of activity: Milli-curie One-thousandth of a curie Micro-curie One-millionth of a curie . The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Definitions: Half-life - The amount of time a radioactive material takes to decay to 1/2 of its original activity Each radioactive material (Isotope = Source) has a unique half-life Sodium seconds Iodine days Cobalt years Plutonium ,139 years After 7 half lives < 1% remains The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Field Instrumentation
Identify hazards Types of radiation External Magnitude Identify affected media Identify nuclide(s) Offsite analysis (of media samples) Field spectroscopy May read in mR/hr or microrem/hr – know your meter!

Field Instrumentation
Alpha Detectors Alpha scintillators (zinc sulfide, ZnS) Air proportional detector Pancake G-M (Geiger Mueller) Beta Detectors Pancake G-M Thin Wall G-M Gamma Detectors Sodium Iodide (NaI) Geiger Mueller Tube, Pancake G-M, Thin Wall G-M EXERCISE 3 – MEASUREMENTS – CHECKING BATTERY HAVE THREE PEOPLE MEASURE THE SAME SOURCE (INSTRUMENT BATTERY NOT WORKING ON ONE INSTRUMENT) COMPARE RESULTS. DEMONSTRATE THE NEED TO CHECK BATTERY FIRST! DEMONSTRATE DIFFERENT UNITS. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radiation Effects Acute Exposure - Local or Total Body Exposure occurs in hours or minutes Repairable damage to cells Irrepairable damage to cells, but not causing death Irrepairable damage resulting in death The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radiation Effects Chronic Exposure Small amounts of exposure over a long period of time Birth defects of a Teratogenic or Mutagenic nature The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Risk Perspective mrem/y Avg. Background 360 Avg. Radiation Worker 400 Regulatory Limit ,000 (Radiation Workers) The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Health Risks Radiation Risks (bomb survivors) Risk of developing a fatal cancer, non-fatal cancer, genetic effects, and length of life lost %/rem or %/mrem The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

EPA Emergency Dose Limit Guidelines
(whole body) Emergency Action Dose Guidelines Activity Performed 5 rem All activities 10 rem Protecting major property 25 rem Lifesaving or protection of large populations >25 rem Lifesaving or protection of large populations, only by volunteers who understand the risks. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Dose Limit Guidelines The Maximum Lifetime exposure from a single incident is: 25 Rem NCRP Report No. 138 50 Rem Whole Body , 500 Rem Skin Justification, understanding risks The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Types of Incidents Los Alamos Wildfires Lost Sources Three Mile Island
These are just a few examples of the types of radiation incidents that EPA and other responders have to be ready for, in case state and local response capabilities are overwhelmed. Under the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan, EPA is the Lead Federal Agency for responses to orphan sources and for foreign incidents (something like another Chernobyl, for example). As we’ll discuss later, EPA was given the role of LFA for foreign incidents because we have the Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (known as ERAMS), which is the only nationwide system able to detect radiation in the ambient air in an ongoing way. Some of you may not know that most satellites carry radioactive sources. For example, radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs) are small plutonium packs that satellites use as heat-generators. These have created concerns in the past – for example, in 1978, pieces of one of the Soviet Union’s Cosmos satellites fell over the sparsely populated Northwest Territories of Canada. EPA dispatched response personnel to help the Canadians assess the situation. In 1988, a Cosmos satellite failed again, landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Space Launches Nuclear facility accidents Nuclear weapon and device accidents Nuclear terrorism Satellite re-entry Contaminated imports Transportation accidents Sabotage Orphan sources* Foreign incidents*

Potential Terrorist Incidents Involving Radiation
The nature of these attacks (i.e., materials used, facilities involved, method of contamination, destructive intent) can vary greatly Assault or attack on power plants/nuclear facilities Improvised Nuclear Weapon/lost or stolen weapon Radiation Dispersal Device with or without explosives Radiation Exposure Device Water system contamination Purposely contaminated consumer products Orphan and lost sources [Depending on the audience, you might need to be sensitive about implying that power plants or other commercial sources are vulnerable.] The intent of this and the following slides is to let you know about the types of discussions that are held in Washington, D.C. about Homeland Security and potential vulnerabilities. Some of you might disagree with the specific threat levels associated with each threat, and certainly experts do disagree, but it’s important that responders have an idea of the types of threats that are possible. None of this information is classified, but it may be considered sensitive – in other words, think about it before you give a copy of the presentation to someone. Generally, Homeland Security planners are most concerned about the potential impacts of the events described in the first two bullets, since their impacts would be the greatest (not to say the most likely). The impacts of any of these events, though, could vary widely, depending on weather, the type of source, the population in the impacted area, and other, numerous factors. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Obtainable Radiological Materials
Element Half Life Type of Radiation Cesium–137 30 years Beta, gamma Cobalt–60 5.3 years Strontium-90 29.1 years Beta, Bremsstrahlung (quantity) Iridium–192 74 days Hydrogen-3 12.3 year Beta (low energy) Plutonium-238 86 years Alpha (gamma contaminant) Plutonium-239 24,400 years Alpha, beta, gamma Americium – 241 430 years Alpha, gamma Uranium-235, 238, DU 710M – 4.5B yrs. Alpha, gamma (beta from daughters) Medical and research isotopes: Technetium-99m 6 hours Beta Iodine – 131 8 days Phosphorus-32 14 days Gallium-67 78 hours Gamma Carbon-14 5730 years These radionuclides are available in varying degree. Cesium, cobalt, strontium, americium, and iridium all have industrial applications and are available in this country. Two-thirds (2/3) of the sources reported stolen in the U.S. are cesium or cobalt sources. Some smoke detectors take advantage of alpha emissions from americium-241 to help create an electrical current. Radium-226 was used in the past in treating cancer, by inserting tiny amounts of radium into the tumurous mass. Polonium-210 serves as a static eliminator in paper mills and other industries. The alpha particles, due to their positive charge, attract loose electrons, thus reducing static charge. Hydrogen-3 (tritium) is used in self-illuminating Exit Signs, as well as in research. Plutonium and Uranium-235 are highly controlled in the US, but possibly more loosely controlled elsewhere, as we’ve discussed. Uranium-238 and DU (depleted uranium) are common. Depleted uranium is most often used as ballast in aircraft and is used for penetrating ammunition. The medical and research isotopes are used in hospitals and biomedical research laboratories, and are shipped daily by commercial carriers.

Radiation Dispersal Device (RDD)
Terrorists pack a conventional explosive around radioactive material In the U.S., the sources would likely be radiography-type (cesium, cobalt, iridium), which are fairly easy to detect if intelligence gives a general location Terrorists purposely contaminate an area with radioactive materials through some aerosol spraying method Lethality is low Panic is high Event is intended to panic the public and severely tax the resources of Federal and state government Many follow-up measurements would have to be made to assess the total contamination picture Even a small event may take years of study to understand RDDs are frequently called “weapons of mass disruption” rather than destruction. Lethality is not expected to be high, given the kinds and amounts of materials that may be available, but the panic and financial impacts will be significant. Some RDDs are what has been called a “dirty bomb” – a conventional explosive wrapped around radioactive material that is spread by the explosion. Those that have been most frequently discussed in the media (for instance, the plots around the D.C. area that were shown on the news) have been based on really big sources (1,000 Curies), which are difficult to obtain. Most sources used in medical imaging are very short-lived, so you wouldn’t use them in an RDD. As mentioned earlier, radiography sources used industrially are typically about 100 Curies, and would be instantly missed if taken. The sources that you most frequently hear about being “lost” –that we’ll talk about in a moment – are more typically on the order of a few Curies. You could take a lot of those and collect them, but it would probably be noticed if a bunch of sources disappeared at once from one area. Another option would be to grind a radioactive material into a powder and spread it from an airplane or a street sweeper that’s been modified to spray out, for example. (The grinding process could be dangerous or even lethal for the person doing it, but some terrorists may not care.) Again, depending on the type of source used, the radiation emitted may differ [may want to hand out a table of isotopes and the types of radiation they emit]. So, depending on what source is present, you’ll need to vary your monitoring and sampling strategies.

Source: Knight-Ridder Tribune
Here’s a nice depiction of the difference between a “dirty bomb” and an improvised nuclear device. As you can see from the graphic, the intents are very different: a “dirty bomb” is intended primarily to spread fear, while an atomic bomb destroys the target and can kill thousands of people. Source: Knight-Ridder Tribune

Characteristics of Radiation Burn
Thermal Burn as Opposed to Radiation Burn - No sensation or recollection of immediate pain Delayed Response RDD as opposed to Atomic Blast - Difference in Debris Field - Flash The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radiation Exposure Device (RED)
Radioactive material that is intended to expose people in the vicinity of the device to emitted radiation RED could be a sealed source or a material within some type of container (e.g., a shoebox) The radioactive material could be in the form of a contained powder, a contained liquid, or a solid object Example: if the radioactive material in an industrial radiography device is left without shielding, a person standing one meter from the source would have to stand at that location for about 5 hours to get a dose that would probably prove lethal (death within 2 months…) REDs would only be effective in locations where people would remain in one place for a while. For example, an airplane seat, a stadium, or perhaps a movie theater. The likelihood of this type of threat is difficult to assess, but this is another type of device that’s being discussed. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Transportation Accidents
WIPP transports Industrial Radiography Passenger / Air Cargo Flights Rail Transport The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Regulatory Agencies The Department of transportation (DOT) serves as the regulatory agency involving radioactive materials if: A radioactive material having a specific activity of 70 Bq per gram (0.002 micro-curies per gram) of material The DOT determines what type of packaging the material shall be encased and shipped in ICAO/IATA determines types of packages acceptable on passenger/cargo aircraft The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Response Transportation Incidents
Radiation presents minimal risk • Undamaged packages are safe. Contents of damaged packages may cause increased exposure or possible internal/external contamination Type A packages contain non-life endangering amounts Type B packages, and the rarely occurring Type C packages including [B(U)F, B(M)F, CF] contain the most (potentially) hazardous amounts of material. Life threatening conditions may exist only if contents are released or package shielding fails or in utmost severity. Packaging durability increases as potential radiation and criticality hazards of the content increase. Type A packages (cartons, boxes, drums, articles, etc.) identified as “Type A” by marking on packages or by shipping papers contain non-life endangering amounts. Partial releases might be expected if “Type A” packages are damaged in moderately severe accidents. Type AF or IF packages, identified by package markings, do not contain life-threatening amounts of material. External radiation levels are low and packages are designed, evaluated, and tested to control releases and to prevent a fission chain reaction under severe transport conditions. • Type B(U)F, B(M)F and CF packages (identified by markings on packages or shipping papers) contain potentially life endangering amounts. Because of design, evaluation, and testing of packages, fission chain reactions are prevented and releases are not expected to be life endangering for all accidents except those of utmost severity. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

FIRE OR EXPLOSION involving Radioactive Material • Some of these materials may burn, but most do not ignite readily. • Radioactivity does not change flammability or other properties of materials. • Type B packages (AF, IF, B(U)F, B(M)F and CF) are designed and evaluated to withstand total engulfment in flames at temperatures of 800°C (1475°F) for a period of 30 minutes. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Trigger Points * Initial Alarm Level – 10 mR/h * Turn Around – 10, 000 mR/h (10 R/h) * Rule of Thumb cpm = 1 mR/h The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radiation ‘Experts’ Radiation Safety Officer USNRC State – TxDSHS Nuclear Medicine Professionals FEMA EPA USDOE Several Other Federal Agencies Health Physics Society The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

What to Look for in an ‘Expert’
Familiar with Instruments Practical Advice Ability to Calculate Credential Familiarity with Contamination The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Stay upwind. CALL Emergency Response Telephone Number on Shipping Paper first. • Priorities for rescue, life-saving, first aid, and control of fire and other hazards are first. • Keep unauthorized personnel away. • Detain or isolate uninjured persons or equipment suspected to be contaminated; delay decontamination and cleanup until instructions are received from Radiation Authority. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

• Radiation Authority must be notified of accident conditions. Radiation Authority is usually responsible for decisions about radiological consequences and closure of emergencies. • Isolate spill or leak area immediately for at least 25 to meters (80 to 160 feet) in all directions. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Shipping papers and labels indicate the level of “activity” The type of transportation container (A, B or C) is determined by the Ci content and level of exposure The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Example Radioactive Material Shall be packaged, at a minimum, in a Cardboard Box. This is called “Type A package”. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radiation Labels

HAZARD CATEGORY CONTENTS Contents Cs-137 Activity GBq (1.0 Ci) 2.0 TRANSPORT INDEX TRANSPORT INDEX ACTIVITY HAZARD CLASS The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radioactive Labels Radioactive White - I One vertical red stripe Low level hazard (activity) Surface radiation level,- maximum of 0.5 mR/hr Radioactive Yellow - II Two vertical red stripes Moderate hazard (activity) Surface radiation level, - maximum of 50 mR/hr 1 mR/hr maximum at one meter from package The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radioactive Labels Radioactive Yellow - III Three vertical red stripes Highest level hazard (activity) Surface radiation level – maximum of 200 mR/hr 10 mR/hr maximum at one meter from the package EXCLUSIVE USE – 1000 mR/h on package surface, 200 mR/h outer surface vehicle, 10 mR/h at 2 meters The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Transport Index A number placed on the label to designate the degree of control to be exercised during transport TI is the maximum radiation level in mR/hr per hour) at 1 meter from package If TI is 2, the maximum radiation level at 1 meter would be 2 mR/hr The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas NFPA Objective

Placards Placards are only required to be displayed on vehicles for Type III shipments The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radioactive Container Shapes
Protective overpacks Cylindrical configuration Boxlike configuration Casks Rigid metal packaging Reinforcing rings and cooling fins The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radioactive Container Shapes Type A
Fiberboard Wooden Boxes Steel Drums

Type B Package Designed to meet standards for performance under hypothetical accident conditions Tests Conducted Dropped from a height of 30 feet Dropped on a steel spike from 40 inches Exposed to fire at 1,475 0F for 30 minutes The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Radioactive Cask Type B

Type B Package TRUPACT I and II Certified by NRC Meets USDOT safety requirements TRUPACT I will hold gallon drums TRUPACT II will hold gallon drums Weight 12,700 lbs 19,250 lbs The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Trupact I Trupact II The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Response When responding to a radiological emergency, personnel MUST remember three (3) important characteristics: We Cannot Smell it We Cannot Taste it We Cannot See It Rushing in to a radiological emergency spells trouble!! The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Response Personnel Safety Responders shall ensure the safety of themselves and co-workers, prior to performing rescues or evacuations of victims or potential victims. This can be done by performing a proper size up of the scene prior to commitment of personnel. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Response Identifying Material Labels Placards Bill of Lading
Shipper’s Declaration

Documents

Emergency Response Other information may come from: An operator of a transport vehicle User Manufacturer Shipper The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Response Monitoring Monitoring should begin prior to arriving at the scene. Radioactivity can be monitored by: CD V-700 CD V-715 The CD V-700 survey meter has a range of 0 to 50 mR/Hour. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Performing a Rescue In situations involving rescue, certain safety requirements must be considered and include: Knowing the characteristics of radiation Ensuring personnel safety Who should perform rescue Who should perform evacuation The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Response Protection Protection can be achieved by: Time Distance Shielding All of these should be in-place when working a Radiological Emergency The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Fire, Spill or Leak -See ERG
Small Fires Dry chemical, CO 2, water spray or regular foam. Large Fires Water spray, fog (flooding amounts). SPILL OR LEAK Do not touch damaged packages or spilled material. Damp surfaces on undamaged or slightly damaged packages are seldom an indication of packaging failure. Most packaging for liquid content have inner containers and/or inner absorbent materials. If any radioactive contamination resulting from a liquid release is present, it probably will be low-level. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Protection Factors Time the shorter the exposure time, the less the exposure Radiation exposures are additive in their effects upon the or any other subject The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

PROTECTION FACTORS Distance the closer you are, the greater the exposure the energy emitted from a radioactive source declines as you move away from the source EXERCIS The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

EXERCISE There is a wreck on I-20, on approach you recognize it as semi transporting a type B cask. The cask as it appears, has not cracked open. You determine that the TI is 10. If you stand at 3 ft away from the cask for one hour, what is your exposure? On further examination it appears the cask has been cracked, someone standing next to you measures 0.5 R/hr and you have been there for 30 minutes. What dose did you receive? 10 mRem 0.25 Rem or 250 mRem The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Inverse Square Law If you double the distance from the source, the intensity is lowered by one fourth Inverse Square Law - The intensity of ionizing radiation declines with the square of the distance Protection Factor Formula = Distance 2 Quantity = Amount of Radiation Received Distance 2 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Protection Factor 5 ft. 10 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 1000 mR/hr mR/hr 10 mR/hr 2.5 m/hr mR/hr 30 X 30 = 900 5 X 5 = 25 1000 = 1.1 mR/hr 900 1000 = 40 mR/hr 25 10 mR/hr 4.4 mR/hr The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

EXERCISE You are at the scene of transport accident and find that on measurement you are standing in a 500 mR/h field which is one meter (3 ft) away from the source of radiation. How far would you have to move away from the source to be less than an initial alert level of 10 mR/h? 1. Double your distance (stand at 2 meters) to reduce your exposure levels to ¼. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

PROTECTION FACTORS Shielding Personnel protective equipment can offer protection against alpha particles PPE will offer limited protection against beta particles PPE offers NO protection against gamma radiation Positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and structural firefighters’ protective clothing will provide adequate protection against internal radiation exposure, but not all external radiation exposures. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Emergency Care • Medical problems take priority over radiological concerns. • Use first aid treatment according to the nature of the injury • Do not delay care and transport of a seriously injured person. • Apply artificial respiration if victim is not breathing. Administer oxygen if breathing is difficult. • In case of contact with substance, immediately flush skin or eyes with running water for at least 20 minutes. • Injured persons contaminated by contact with released material are not a serious hazard to health care personnel, equipment or facilities. • Ensure that medical personnel are aware of the material(s) involved, take precautions to protect themselves and prevent spread of contamination

This Presentation Was Developed by the North Texas Chapter Health Physics Society -The Radiation Safety Professionals -In Conjunction with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

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