RADIOBIOLOGY

AND

RADIATION
PROTECTION
(RT 106)

COURSE OUTLINE:
l.Review of Basic
Radiation Concepts
al.Radiation Biology
lll. Radiation Protection

SOURCES OF
IONIZING RADIATION
Many types of radiation are

harmless,
but
IONIZING
RADIATION
can
INJURE
HUMANS. We are exposed to
many types of
IONIZING
RADIATION in our
daily lives from
multiple sources.

These sources can be divided into

two
(2)
main
categories:
NATURAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
RADIATION (something over which
we have no control) and MANMADE RADIATION (from MEDICAL
DIAGNOSTIC and THERAPEUTIC
PROCEDURES
and
RADIATION
APPLICATIONS
associated
with
INDUSTRY,
RESEARCH
and
CONSUMER PRODUCTS).

1.) NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL

RADIATION
Human being have inhabited EARTH
and have evolved in the presence of a
CONSTANT RADIATION
EXPOSURE
called NATURAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
RADIATION.

NATURAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
RADIATION results in ANNUAL
DOSE
of
approximately
3
millisieverts
(mSv).
MAN-MADE
RADIATION
results
in
3.2
millisieverts (mSv) annually. A mSv
is the unit of EFFECTIVE DOSE. It
is used to express radiation
exposure
of
populations
and
radiation risk in those populations.

FOUR ( 4 ) COMPONENTS OF NATURAL

ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION

1.) COSMIC RAYS/RADIATION

The COSMIC RAYS are particulate and
electromagnetic radiation emitted by
the SUN and STARS. On EARTH, the
intensity of cosmic radiation increases
with altitude and latitude.

SUN

STARS

COSMIC RAYS
TERRESTRIAL
RADIATION

Radioactive
NATURAL
Element
ENVIRONMENTAL
RADIATION

2.) TERRESTRIAL
RADIATION

Results from deposits of

URANIUM, THORIUM and other
radionuclides in the EARTH.
The
intensity
is
highly
dependent on the geology
of the local
area.

3.) INTERNALLY DEPOSITED

RADIONUCLIDES
From RADIONUCLIDES naturally
deposited
in
the
HUMAN
BODY, mainly 40
POTASSIUM-40 (
are natural
metabolites.

K)

4
0

They have always been with us

and contribute an equal dose to
each of us. The air we breathe, the
water we drink, and the food we
eat
are
all
contains
small
quantities of naturally occurring
radionuclides.

4.) RADON Gas

The
colorless,
odorless,
naturally
occurring radioactive
222
gas (
Ra) that decays via
alpha emission and has a halflife of 3.8 days.

The largest source of Natural

Environmental
Radiation
is
RADON. Radon is a RADIOACTIVE
GAS that is produced by
the
natural radioactive decay
of
URANIUM, which is present in
trace quantities
in the earth.

All earth-based materials, such

as concrete, bricks and gypsum
wall
board,
contain
radon.
Radon emits alpha particles,
which are not penetrating and
therefore contributes a
radiation dose
only to the lung.

2.) MAN-MADE
RADIATION
From RADIOLOGIC MEDICAL
DIAGNOSTIC
IMAGING
PROCEDURES and
RADIOLOGIC
THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES.

Radiography

Radiotherapy

Patients received radiation

exposure from RADIOGRAPHIC
EXAMINATION,
FLUOROSCOPIC
EXAMINATION,
DENTAL
DIAGNOSIS, and RADIATION
THERAPY.

Fluoroscopy
Radiography

Radiotherapy

By
far,
most
manmade/artificial
radiation
exposure is received from
MEDICAL
RADIOGRAPHIC
PROCEDURES.

Radiography

Fluoroscopy

CT Scanning

DIAGNOSTIC
X-RAYS
constitute the LARGEST MANMADE SOURCE of IONIZING
RADIATION
(3.2
mSv/year).
This estimate was made in
2006
by
the
NATIONAL
COUNCIL
ON
RADIATION
PROTECTION
and
MEASUREMENTS
(NCRP).
Radiography

The benefits derived from the

application of X-RAYS in MEDICINE
are indisputable; however such
applications must be made with
PRUDENCE and with CARE taken
to
reduce
UNNECESSARY
EXPOSURE
of
PATIENTS
and
PERSONNEL.

Radiography

CT Scanning

This responsibility falls primarily

on
the
RADIOLOGIC
TECHNOLOGIST
because
the
TECHNOLOGIST usually controls
the OPERATION of the
X-RAY
IMAGING
SYSTEM
during
a
RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION .

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST

Other sources of Man-made

Radiation
include
NUCLEAR
POWER
GENERATION,
RESEARCH
APPLICATIONS,
INDUSTRIAL
SOURCES,
and
CONSUMER ITEMS.

Nuclear Power Generation

Nuclear Power Stations and other

Industrial
applications
contribute
very little to our radiation dose.
Consumer products such as watch
dials, exit signs, smoke detectors,
camping lantern mantles, and airport
surveillance systems contribute a
few millirem to our annual radiation
dose.

Watch Dials

CLM

ASS

Sources of Human Ionizing

Radiation Exposure

COURSE OUTLINE:
l.Review of Basic
Radiation Concepts
al.Radiation Biology
lll. Radiation Protection

RADIATION QUANTITIES
AND UNITS
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM
CUSTOMARY UNIT
Quantity
Exposure

Name
Symbol
Symbol

Name

Absorbed Dose rad

rad

Coulomb/ C/kg
kilogram
air kerma Gy a
gray
Gy t

Effective Dose rem

rem

sievert

Sv

Ci

becquerel

Bq

Radioactivity

roentgen R

OF UNITS (SI)

curie

NON-INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM OF UNITS
(CUSTOMARY UNIT)
FOUR (4) UNITS
ARE USED TO MEASURE
RADIATION

1.) ROENTGEN (R) is

of
radiation
EXPOSURE.

Roentgen

the unit

Exposure

 Radiation

Exposure is the
amount of ionization in air
produced by X-ray or Gamma
Ray
during
radiologic
procedures.

X-rays

Gamma rays

RADIATION QUANTITIES
AND UNITS
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM
CUSTOMARY UNIT
Quantity
Exposure

Name
Symbol
Symbol

Name

Absorbed Dose rad

rad

Coulomb/ C/kg
kilogram
air kerma Gy a
gray
Gy t

Effective Dose rem

rem

sievert

Sv

Ci

becquerel

Bq

Radioactivity

roentgen R

OF UNITS (SI)

curie

The SI unit for EXPOSURE is

Coulomb/kilogram (C/kg) or (air kerma
(Gy a).
Charles-Augustin
de
Coulombwas
aFrench
Physicist. He was best known
for developingCoulomb's law,
the
definition
of
theelectrostatic
forceof
attraction and repulsion, but
also did important work
onfriction. TheSI UNIT of
RADIATION EXPOSURE, was
named after him.

RADIATION QUANTITIES
AND UNITS
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM
CUSTOMARY UNIT
Quantity
Exposure

Name
Symbol
Symbol

Name

Absorbed Dose rad

rad

Coulomb/ C/kg
kilogram
air kerma Gy a
gray
Gy t

Effective Dose rem

rem

sievert

Sv

Ci

becquerel

Bq

Radioactivity

roentgen R

OF UNITS (SI)

curie

2.) RAD (rad)

RADIATION
Biologic

is

the

unit

ABSORBED

effects

usually

of

DOSE.
are

related to the radiation absorbed

dose. RAD is the unit used when
describing

the

radiation quantity
received

by

patient
(PATIENT DOSE).

The
SI unit for RADIATION
ABSORBED DOSE is Gray (Gy t).

LOUIS HAROLD GRAY

is
a British Physicist
and
Radiologist as well as
founder
of
the
RADIOBIOLOGY. His work
was concerned with the
effect of radiation and
radioactivity on biological
systems. TheSI UNIT of

RADIATION ABSORBED
DOSE Dose, was named

RADIATION QUANTITIES
AND UNITS
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM
CUSTOMARY UNIT
Quantity
Exposure

Name
Symbol
Symbol

Name

Absorbed Dose rad

rad

Coulomb/ C/kg
kilogram
air kerma Gy a
gray
Gy t

Effective Dose rem

rem

sievert

Sv

Ci

becquerel

Bq

Radioactivity

roentgen R

OF UNITS (SI)

curie

3.) REM (rem) - stands for

Radiation Equivalent in Man
It is the unit of EFFECTIVE
DOSE
or
OCCUPATIONAL
EXPOSURE . It is used to express
the

quantity

of

radiation received
by RADIATION
WORKERS.

REM
Personnel
monitoring
devices
such as film badges, TLD, and
OSL
are analysed
in terms of
REMS.

The
SI unit for EFFECTIVE
DOSE is Sievert (Sv).

ProfessorRolf
Maximilian
Sievertwas
a
Swedish
MedicalPhysicist whose major
contribution was in the study of
the
biological
effects
ofradiation.

RADIATION QUANTITIES
AND UNITS
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM
CUSTOMARY UNIT
Quantity
Exposure

Name
Symbol
Symbol

Name

Absorbed Dose rad

rad

Coulomb/ C/kg
kilogram
air kerma Gy a
gray
Gy t

Effective Dose rem

rem

sievert

Sv

Ci

becquerel

Bq

Radioactivity

roentgen R

OF UNITS (SI)

curie

4.) CURIE (Ci) is the unit used to

measure the quantity of radioactive atom (radioactivity)
and not the radiation emitted
by that
material.

Antoine Henri Becquerel

was a FrenchPhysicist,Nobel
Laureate, and the discoverer
ofradioactivityalong with Marie
Sklodowska
Curie
andPierre
Curie,for which all three won the
1903 Nobel prize in Physics.

The
SI unit for
RADIOACTIVITY is Becquerel (Bq).

Antoine Henri Becquerel was

a
FrenchPhysicist,Nobel Laureate,
and
the
discoverer
of
radioactivity.

RADIATION QUANTITIES
AND UNITS
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM
CUSTOMARY UNIT
Quantity
Exposure

Name
Symbol
Symbol

Name

Absorbed Dose rad

rad

Coulomb/ C/kg
kilogram
air kerma Gy a
gray
Gy t

Effective Dose rem

rem

sievert

Sv

Ci

becquerel

Bq

Radioactivity

roentgen R

OF UNITS (SI)

curie