Radiation Safety Chapter One

Natural Environmental Radiation Types

Cosmic Rays, Terrestrial Radiation, Radon, and Internally deposited Radionuclides

Who discovered X-ray?

Wilhelm Roentgen

How did Wilhelm Roentgen discover X-rays?

He was using a crookes tube and shot an X-ray at barium platinocyanide and it glowed

When was the first documented xray and who was it on?

1896, and on William Roentgen’s wife’s hand

What speed does xray travel at?

The speed of light

What can X-rays do to certain crystals?

Fluorescence

Can X-rays be focused by a lens?

No

When and who died during the first xray fatality in the united states?

In 1904, Clarence Dolly Died due to a burn from xray

What were some injuries to patients in early xray due to prolonged exposure from low energy xray?

Hair loss, skin injury, and anemia

anemia

Not having enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen in body tissues

What were some effects of radiation that were occupational injuries?

Aplastic anemia and leukemia

Aplastic anemia

When bone marrow doesn’t produce enough red blood cells

leukemia

A cancer of blood forming tissues effecting the bone marrow and lymphatic system

Are X-ray’s electrically charged?

They’re neutral and can’t be effected by electric or magnetic forces

Does X-ray produce heat?

Xray produces a small amount of heat when passing through matter

Who made the fluoroscope?

Thomas Edison

What does ALARA stand for?

As low as reasonably achievable

What was the early collimation, a diaphragm?

An xray tube that has a lead cover with a hole in the middle and an aluminum cover.

What is a photon?

A particle containing an electromagnetic force.

What filters do we use today in an xray tube and what do they prevent?

Aluminum or copper filters absorb low-energy radiation.

What are the cardinal principles of radiation control?

time, distance and shielding

On pregnant patients, what examinations should we avoid?

Examinations of the pelvis and lower abdomen

What is the SI unit for exposure

Air Kerma (Gya)

What is the SI unit for radiation absorbed dose?

The gray (Gyt)

What is the SI unit for occupational radiation exposure and effective dose?

The sievert (Sv)

What is the SI unit measuring the quantity of radioactive material?

Becquerel (Bq)

What are the equivalents of the SI units Gya and Gyt?

Joules per kilogram (J/kg)

What is the customary version of an air kerma?

Roentgen (R)

What is the customary unit for a Gyt?

Rad (Rad)

What is the customary unit for effective dose?

Rem

What is the customary unit for a becquerel?

Curie (Ci)

What is the curie named after?

Pierre Curie who discovered radium

What’s the difference between mass and weight?

Mass is the measure of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force exerted upon an object.

What is the relationship between energy and mass?

They are interchangeable due to mass-energy equivalence or E=MC².

What is energy?

The ability to do work

What is electrical energy?

work that can be done when electron moves through electrical potential

What is thermal energy?

The energy of motion at the molecular level

What is nuclear energy?

The energy stored within the nucleus of an atom.

What are the different types of electromagnetic radiation?

radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, gamma rays, UV, infrared, visible light

What is radiation?

The transfer of energy

What happens in ionization?

An orbital electron is removed from an atom creating an ion

what is an ion?

An atom or particle that has lost or gained an electron

Which are examples of ionizing radiation?

Gamma, xray, and UV

Which particles can ionize?

Beta and alpha particles

What do natural sources contribute annually in radiation

3 mSv annually

What are the four types of natural radiation?

Cosmic rays, terrestrial radiation, internally deposited radiation, and radon

What is radon

radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium, it emits alpha particles

What are examples of man made radiation?

Medical imaging and consumer products

How much does medical imaging contribute annually?

3.0 mSv

How much do we radiation receive annually?

6.2 mSv on average

What are the two measurements for xray commonly used in America?

kVp and mA

What made the xray large-scale?

The introduction of the coolidge tube and snook transformer

What did the coolidge tube do differently from the crookes tube

It allowed for intensity and energy to be controlled

What was first used to capture xray?

photographic plates coated with barium platinocyanide

What was used before WW1? For image capture

Two glass plates with double emulsion film

What was the IR changed to during WW1?

cellulose nitrate

What’s the biggest advancement currently?

Film is being replaced by digital IR

What was the first fluoroscope called?

The vitascope