Radiation Science: Historical Overview of Radiation Protection

Lecture Overview

  • Instructor: Raynard K. Fong, MS CHP, Medical Health Physicist

  • Course: University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Historical Overview of Radiation Protection

Genesis of Radiation Protection

The Beginning

  • Date of Discovery: November 8, 1895

  • Location: Wurzburg, Germany

  • Discoverer: Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

  • Discovery: Mysterious rays, later named X-rays. Roentgen observed fluorescence on a barium platino-cyanide screen when operating a Crookes tube in a darkened room, even though the tube was covered. He deduced that some unknown radiation, capable of penetrating opaque materials, was being emitted.

The Very First Radiograph

Key Details

  • Subject: Mrs. Roentgen’s hand (Anna Bertha Ludwig).

  • Date of Radiograph: November 22, 1895

  • Exposure Time: 20 minutes

  • Fluorescent Screen Used: Barium platino-cyanide

  • Significance: This groundbreaking image, revealing the bones within flesh and Mrs. Roentgen's wedding ring, visually confirmed the penetrating power of X-rays and instantly demonstrated their immense potential for medical diagnosis.

Global Impact of X-rays

Historical Trends

  • X-ray Mania: Following Roentgen's announcement, the discovery rapidly captivated the global community, leading to widespread fascination and often unregulated use.

  • Significance: X-rays provided humanity with an unprecedented, non-invasive means to look inside the human body without surgery, revolutionizing diagnostics.

  • Medical Recognition: Swiftly accepted in medical applications, X-rays were used to document numerous foreign bodies, fractures, and calculi within months of their discovery, profoundly impacting surgical and diagnostic practices.

Early Health Effects of X-rays

Exposure Risks

  • Hand-held Fluoroscopy: A common and dangerous source of radiation exposure in the 1890s, where operators would hold fluorescent screens directly in the X-ray beam.

  • Health Effects Noted:

    • Within 1 year of discovery: Over 100 cases of adverse radiation health effects, including skin burns, hair loss, and inflammation, were documented among users and patients.

    • Notable Case: Death of Clarence Dally (1865 - 1904) – America's first recognized death due to X-ray radiation. Dally, an assistant to Thomas Edison, worked extensively with X-ray tubes, suffering severe burns and ultimately succumbing to metastatic cancer related to his exposure.

    • Public awareness: This era brought the stark acknowledgment that X-rays, while offering potential cures, could also