Health Physics & Radiation Safety

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental terms from the Health Physics lecture, including ALARA principles, dose quantities, weighting factors, shielding, and SI radiation units.

Health physics

research, teaching, and practical operation of radiation safety.

Occupational radiation protection, minimizing radiation dose to the public

What are the two goals of health physics?

ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable)

Created by the national committee on radiation protection started in 1954 is based on the linear non-threshold dose response relationship

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP)

U.S. organization that develops recommendations and guidelines on radiation protection, including the ALARA concept.

STD principle – Time

Minimizing the duration of exposure lowers dose; Exposure = rate × time.

STD principle – Distance

Increasing distance from a source greatly reduces dose according to the Inverse Square Law.

Inverse Square Law (ISL)

The mathematical reason for decrease dose with increased distance

Lead apron, lead gloves, lead glasses, thyroid shield shaped contact shield

What are the types of lead shielding?

EqD = Absorbed Dose × Wr

The formula for equivalent dose

Effective Dose (EfD)

The current method for assessing radiation, exposure, and risk of biologic damage (EfD = Absorbed Dose × Wr × Wt).

1

what’s the QF for x-ray and gamma Ray

.01

What’s the QF for bone surface and skin?

Sievert (Sv)

SI unit for Equivalent Dose and Effective Dose.

Gray (Gy)

SI unit for absorbed dose in tissue or air.

Coulomb per kilogram (C/kg)

SI unit measuring ionization (exposure) in air.

Becquerel (Bq)

SI unit of radioactive decay rate, equal to one disintegration per second.

1

What is the QF for Beta particles?

20

What is the QF for Alpha particles?

2

What is the QF for protons

5

What is the QF for thermal neutrons?

20

What is the QF for fast neutrons

20

What is the QF for multi charged particles?

.05

What is the QF for bladder breast, liver, esophagus, thyroid?

.12

What is the QF for red bone marrow: lung and stomach

.2

What is the QF for gonads?