Regulations for Radiation Protection

In contrast, ACR emphasizes the quality control, calibration of the equipment, and technology used in the procedures, and accordingly has developed three modules - module 1 for oncology, module 2 for brain, and module 3 for heart. A PET center must apply for all modules that are performed at the facility. For accreditation, the facility is required to submit information on the quality control and quality assurance program, data collection, reporting, radiopharmaceuticals procedures, and laboratory safety, along with chnical and approved phantom images. So, all equipment in a PET center is required to be calibrated and tested for accurate functionahty for accreditation by ACR. 

For accreditation, the ICANL requires physicians to be board-certified in Nuclear Medicine or in Radiology with special competency in nuclear medicine, whereas special competency in nuclear medicine is not required by ACR. While both standards mandates the quality control tests to be performed daily, weekly, monthly, or annually, ACR requires the presence of a medical physicist in the facility for monitoring the tests but the ICANL only recommends for such an individual. Technologists are required to be certified by ARRT (N) or NMTCB. Continuing education of specified hours is required for each professional category for continuation of accreditation. For detailed information, refer to http //www.acr.org and http //www.icanl.org. 

Roentgen (R) is a measure of external exposure to radiations and is defined by the amount of 7- or X-ray radiation that produces 2.58 x 10 4 Coulomb(C) of charge per kilogram of air. This unit applies only to air, and 7- and X-ray radiations of energy less than 3 MeV. 

In System Internationale (SI) units, it is termed gray (Gy) and given by 

Rem is the unit of dose equivalent and accounts for the differences in effectiveness of different radiations in causing biological damage. It is denoted by H and has the unit of rem. Thus, 

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The Atomic Energy Commission adopted the recommendations of the NCRP in formulating regulations for radiation protection in the civilian atomic-energy program. The AEC had used the NCRP s occupational maximum permissible doses in its own installations and operations since its establishment in 1947. 

Identity and purity, stability, and sterility and apyrogenicity. The identity and purity of radiopharmaceuticals is verified by determining the radionuclidic and radiochemical purity. Stability concerns the radioactive label, which is related to radiochemical purity at a certain time after preparation. Since Tc pharmaceuticals are formulated as sterile, pyrogen-free solutions, the safety requirements of drugs for parenteral use do apply. Safe handling of the radionuclide is equally important and must comply with Euratom Directives, regulated by national law for radiation protection, which also concerns the application of radionuclides in adults and in children for diagnostic procedures. 

International and national regulations and guidelines pertinent to human exposure to plutonium and to other radioactive substances are summarized in Table 7-1. Recommendations for radiation protection for people in the general population as a result of exposure to radiation in the environment are found in the Federal Radiation Guidance (FRC 1960) and ICRP No. 26 (ICRP 1977).National guidelines for occupational radiation protection are found in the "Federal Radiation Protection Guidance for Occupational Exposure" (EPA 1987). This guidance for occupational exposure... 

Regulatory bodies should establish a basic foundation of performance regulations that is consistent with the general principles of radiation safety. Regulations should be based on the Basic Safety Standards [2] and other international standards for radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources. Due account shall also be taken of internationally recognized standards and recommendations, such as IAEA safety standards (Ref [1], para. 5.28). 

The Regulations state the reqnirements for radiation protection which are to be fulfilled in the determination of segregation distances (i.e. minimnm distances between radioactive material packages and regnlarly occupied areas of a conveyance) and of dose rates in regularly occupied areas. For practical purposes it may be helpful to provide this information in the form of segregation tables. 

Generally, modal transport authorities accomplish segregation for radiation protection by establishing tables of minimnm segregation distances which are based npon the limiting valnes for dose required by para. 306 of the Regulations. 

The radiation protection recommendations developed by the ICRP have continuously served the need of the experts of radiation protection and the essential elements of these recommendations have been adopted as cornerstones for national radiation protection regulations. The key elements of the internationally accepted Basic Safety Standard (BSS) for radiation protection also are of the ICRP origin. 

Code of Federal Regulations, Tide 40, Protection of Environment, Part 190, Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations, Washington, D.C., 1976. 

Deals with issues that affect the quality of our air and protection from exposure to harmful radiation. OAR de >el-ops national programs, technical policies, and regulations for controlling air pollution and radiation exposure. Areas of concern to OAR include indoor and outdoor air quality, stationaiy and mobile sources of air pollution, radon, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, radiation protection, and pollution prevention. 

CRCPD (1995). Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. Standards for Protection Against Radiation, Part D, Suggested State Regulations for Control of Radiation, Volume 1, Ionizing Radiation (Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc., Frankfort, Kentucky). 

This Report is one of the series developed under the auspices of Scientific Committee 46, a scientific program area committee of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) concerned with operational radiation safety. The Report provides practical recommendations on the use of personal monitors to estimate effective dose equivalent (Hg) and effective dose (E) for occupationally-exposed individuals. The Report is limited to external exposures to low-LET radiation. Recent additions to the radiation protection literature have made the recommendations possible. In order to avoid delay in utilizing the recommendations in the United States, the quantity as well as E, has been included until such time as the federal radiation protection guidance and associated implementing regulations are revised to express dose limits in E as recommended by the NCRP. 

EPA. 2002d. Radiation protection program. Health and environmental protection standards for uranium and thorium mill tailings. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Code of Federal Regulations. 40 CFR 192, Appendix 1. http //ecfr.access.gpo.gov/otcg. April 19,2002. 

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