Safety radiation sources

Radiation-Density Gauges Gamma radiation may be used to measure the density of material inside a pipe or process vessel. The equipment is basically the same as for level measurement, except that here the pipe or vessel must be filled over the effective, irradiated sample volume. The source is mounted on one side of the pipe or vessel and the detector on the other side with appropriate safety radiation shielding surrounding the installation. Cesium 137 is used as the radi-... 

The sanitary and epidemiological service of the Dnepropetrovsk district also provides supervision for the observance of radiological safety rates during operation of ionizing radiation sources in public health, industry and other industrial branches. It carries out studies on food products, drinking water, construction material, gamma-survey of the territory. 

IAEA, International Basic Safety Standards for Protection Against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety Series 115, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1996. 

Typical irradiation facilities consist of a process chamber containing the radiation source, some sort of conveyor systems to transport products inside and outside the shielding walls, and sophisticated control and safety systems. Irradiation facilities are built with several layers of redundant protection to detect equipment malfunctions and protect employees from accidental exposure. Technical details depend on the type of irradiation. Typical processing parameters are compared in Table 2 [7]. 

Nevertheless, the field of radiation processing is growing, and an increasing number of products or processing methods are achieving commercial status (3). With increasing awareness and confidence by both the processor and the consumer in the use and safety of radiation sources and facilities, as well as of the end product, the field of process radiation is assured a further growth. In the field of food irradiation, for instance, the... 

IAEA (1988). International Atomic Energy Agency. Principles for the Exemption of Radiation Sources and Practices from Regulatory Control, Safety Series No. 89 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna). 

The different types of radiation sources used in the laboratory, such as radioactive elements emitting oc-particles, /i-particles and y-rays, X-ray sources, lasers and micro-wave radiation are to be treated with caution. Some radiation sources can cause damage to cells in the body. The health and safety guidelines listed in the manuals of the radiation sources should be followed. 

The Standards draw upon information derived from extensive research and development work by scientific and engineering organisations, at national and international levels, on the health effects of radiation and techniques for the safe design and operation of radiation sources and upon experience in many countries in the use of radiation and nuclear techniques. The United Nations Scientific Committee of the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), a body set up by the United Nations in 1955, compiles, assesses and disseminates information on the health effects of radiation and on levels of radiation exposure due to different sources this information was taken into account in developing the Standards. Purely scientific considerations, however, are only part of the basis for decisions on protection and safety, and the Standards implicitly encourage decision-makers to make value judgements about the relative importance of risks of different kinds and about the balancing of risks and benefits. 

The new Standards are intended to ensure the safety of all types of radiation sources and to complement engineering safety standards developed for large and complex radiation sources, such as nuclear reactors and radioactive waste management facilities. The Standards are not mandatory, but can serve as a practical guide to all those involved in radiation protection, taking into account local situations, resources, etc. 

Safety Series No. 120 Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources (1996). 

This report summarizes conventional methods for UV irradiation of air sensitive organometallic compounds at ambient or subambient temperatures. Of the irradiation sources available (l ) the medium pressure Hanovia 450 W arc lamp systems (2) are of moderate price, reliable, and versatile in our experience. Caution Powerful arc lamps can cause eye damage or blindness within seconds and UV protective goggles (available from most scientific supply houses) must be worn. Never look directly at the radiation source. For safety of other workers lamps should be enclosed in a vented box with baffles. If Pyrex transmits enough UV radiation for an efficient reaction, as for photochemical reactions of metal-metal bonded complexes (3), then conventional Schlenkware can be used for photolysis and no special glassware is needed. Since a 2 mm thick wall of Pyrex transmits only 10% of the UV light at 300 nm, UV transparent quartz reaction vessels are often needed for photoreactions of mononuclear organometallic complexes. 

ACALA s Radioactive Material Handling Safety - Student Reference Guide. This reference guide outlines the basics of radiation and radiation protection. It focuses on radiation sources in U S. Army commodities. There is a CD version of the Guide. 

To use high-energy radiation sources either in a laboratory or on an industrial scale, one must be familiar with their characteristics, the safety requirements and dosimetry. These topics are well covered in the literature and therefore will not be discussed [Bradley, 1984 Cleland, 1992 IAEA, 1994 Woods and Pikaev, 1994 Singh et al., 1996]. Usually, the suppliers of high-energy radiation equipment are also helpful in providing relevant information to their customers. 

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