Radiation Safety and Operations

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Slide 10

Half Life Calculation

Most medical isotopes (like Technicium-99m) last only a few days

Slide 11

Some Isotopes & Their Half Lives

Slide 12

The Amount of Radioactivity is NOT Necessarily Related to Size

Specific activity is the amount of radioactivity found in a gram of material.

Radioactive material with long half-lives have low specific activity.

1 gram of Cobalt-60 has the same activity as 1800 tons of natural Uranium

Slide 13

Alpha Particles: 2 neutrons and 2 protons

They travel short distances, have large mass

Only a hazard when inhaled

Four Primary Types of Ionizing Radiation: Alpha Particles

Slide 14

Four Primary Types of Ionizing Radiation: Beta Particles

Beta Particles: Electrons or positrons having small mass and variable energy. Electrons form when a neutron transforms into a proton and an electron or:

Slide 15

Four Primary Types of Ionizing Radiation: Gamma Rays

Gamma Rays (or photons): Result when the nucleus releases

Energy, usually after an alpha, beta or positron transition

Slide 16

Four Primary Types of Ionizing Radiation: X-Rays

X-Rays: Occur whenever an inner shell orbital electron is removed

and rearrangement of the atomic electrons results with the release of

the elements characteristic X-Ray energy

Slide 17

Four Primary Types of Ionizing Radiation: Neutrons

Neutrons: Have the same mass as protons but are uncharged

They behave like bowling balls

Slide 18

Four Primary Types of Ionizing Radiation

Alpha particles

Beta particles

Gamma rays (or photons)

X-Rays (or photons)

Neutrons

Slide 19

Slide 20

Shielding for ,  and 

BASIC CONCEPT is to:

Place materials between the source and person to absorb some or all of the radiation

Slide 21