History/Groups/Units

Question 1

Watch Dial Painters

Answer 1

Exposed to ingestion of large amounts of radium due to drawing bristles of sable paint brushes between lips to “sharpen” point during the the 1920s and 30s primarily in Illinois and New Jersey. Incorporated into bone tissue causing decalcification of bone, sarcoma, and carcinoma

Question 2

Navajo Miners

Answer 2

Exposed to ingestion of uranium dust due to mining in the 1950s and 60s. 50% dies of lung cancer. Mines in NM and AZ that employed over 15,000 minors, mainly navajo. Average dose was 10Sv (1000 rem). Contaminated homes/families with radioactive dust brought home on clothing.

Question 3

Early Radiology Workers

Answer 3

High Exposure of radiation exposure to hands/face due to no protective equipment from 1896-1910’s, resulting in an increased incidence of aplastic anemia and leukemia.

Question 4

Thorotrast Patients

Answer 4

Early contrast agent used in angiography containing 25% Thorium Dioxide (Alpha Emitter), uptake into the liver and spleen causing an increased incidence of liver cancer, cancer of the spleen, biliary carcinoma, and angiosarcoma.

Question 5

Infant Thymus Glands

Answer 5

In an attempt to treat enlargement of the thymus gland, radiation treatments were used on infants in the 1940’s & 50s. Enlargement due to infections/respiratory distress in infants. Theraputic dose of 1.2-60 Gray (120-6000 rads).

Question 6

Marshall Islanders

Answer 6

Fallout pattern of radiation in air in Bikini Atoll in 1954. An unexpected wind shift during a nuclear test carried the fallout pattern over the inhabited islands. The average dose to thyroid = 12 Gray (1200 rad)

Question 7

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Answer 7

Radiation exposure due to atomic bomb killing approximately 90,000 immediately and 70,000 injured. All survivors with various degrees of radiation exposure. Studied survivors found increased incidence of leukemia, thyroid and lung cancer and bone/breast cancer.

Question 8

Chernobyl

Answer 8

In 1986 a meltdown/explosion at a nuclear power plant with no international notification, discovered by Swedish monitoring systems. Soviets tried to cover it up. VERY limited early assistance/evacuation efforts; delays in administering aid resulted in million of people developing radiation induced illnesses.

Question 9

Fukushima Daiichi

Answer 9

Radioactive debris released due to an earthquake and tsunami. Earthquake struck causing shutdown of reactors, backup generators kicked on and were then flooded by tsunami causing a loss of power to run the cooling pumps leading to overheating of the reactor core with meltdown.

Question 10

Exposure in Air

Answer 10

Measured by:
Roentgen (R - traditional)
or
SI Units - Air Kerma (Gya - Grays in Air)

Question 11

Roentgens

Answer 11

Used to measure ionization in air as a result of an exposure to X-ray or gamma rays

1 R = 2.58 x 10(-4) coulombs per kilogram

Question 12

Air Kerma, Grays in Air (Gya)

Answer 12

Measures the amount of energy absorbed in any medium

1Gy = 100 rads

Question 13

Energy Absorbed

Answer 13

Dose to humans

Question 14

Rads

Answer 14

Traditional units for measuring energy absorbed

RAD = Radiation Absorbed Dose

Question 15

Gray in Tissue (Gyt)

Answer 15

SI unit for measuring energy absorbed

Gyt = Grays in Tissue

Question 16

Dose Equivelent

Answer 16

Tissue damage due to dose

Question 17

Rem

Answer 17

Traditional unit for measuring dose equivelent.

Different types of radiation produce different types of biological effects in living tissue.

Rem = RAD x QF (absorbed dose x quality factor)

Question 18

Sievert

Answer 18

SI unit for measuring dose equivelent

Question 19

Activity

Answer 19

Amount of a radioactive material used commonly in radiation therapy of nuclear medicine.

Question 20

Curie

Answer 20

Traditional unit for measuring activity (Ci) or radionuclide decay.

Question 21

Becquerel

Answer 21

SI unit for measuring activity

Question 22

LD 50/60

Answer 22

The dose to kill 50% of a population within 60 days after exposure

Question 23

lethal dose is approximately

Answer 23

300-400 rads without medical intervention

Question 24

Doubling Dose

Answer 24

measures the effectiveness of radiation in causing mutations

Question 25

Male Sterility dose

Answer 25

the higher the dose, the greater the risk

Question 26

Temporary Male Sterility Dose

Answer 26

200 rads may cause temporary sterility for as long as 12 months

Question 27

Permanent Male Sterility Dose

Answer 27

500-600 rads may cause this

Question 28

Female Sterility Dose

Answer 28

The amount of dose determines the risk of sterility

Question 29

Temporary Female Sterility Dose

Answer 29

200 rads will usually result in temporary female sterility

Question 30

Permanent Female Sterility Dose

Answer 30

a single dose of 500 rads will cause permanent sterility

Question 31

Uranium Half Life

Answer 31

U238 has a half life of 4.5 billion years

Question 32

Uranium

Answer 32

A fuel for nuclear power and weapons

Question 33

Since the 1940s

Answer 33

radiation workers have no documented increase in adverse health effects due to their occupational exposure.

Question 34

Thymus gland

Answer 34

As a infant, this gland is basically fully sized (very large for an infant)

Question 35

1 out of 300

Answer 35

Survivors of Hiroshima/Nagasaki died of malignancy attributed to the whole body radiation exposure; a tribute to the human bodes ability to repair itself

Question 36

Radiologic Units

Answer 36

Used to quantify the amount of radiation healthcare workers and patients receive, used for dose, exposure, and air exposure.

Question 37

Traditional Units

Answer 37

In the USA we routinely use these whereas the rest (about) of the world uses SI units

Question 38

LD 50/30 vs 50/60

Answer 38

For humans, the LD 50/60 is typically used due to our slower recovery rate and inaccurate results if only 30 days are given to determine whether or not death will occur.

Question 39

Doubling Dose

Answer 39

Measures the radiation dose that causes the number of spontaneous mutations in a given generation to increase by 2 (double). Estimated to be a mean dose of 156 rem and was determined by the Japan bomb survivors

Question 40

Low Dose - Sterility

Answer 40

a dose as low as 10 rads can depress the sperm count, may also cause genetic mutations in further generations

Question 41

Sterility in females

Answer 41

Ovaries are very radiosensitive as a child/teen. From age 20-30 they are least radiosensitive. From age 30 on, their radiosensitvity increases constantly until menopause because the new ova being destroyed are not replenished.

Question 42

Sterility in Females - Small dose

Answer 42

Doses as small as 10 rads may cause menstrual irregularities and may cause genetic damage. Women should wait 30 days after a significant X-ray exposure before attempting to achieve conception.

Question 43

Dose Response Curve

Answer 43

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