Radiation Regulation & Units & Electrical Safety In Medicine

Question 1

Questions

Answer 1

Answers

Question 2

Who discovered X-rays and when?

Answer 2

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895.

Question 3

What did Henri Becquerel discover in 1896?

Answer 3

Henri Becquerel discovered that rays from certain minerals penetrated black paper and caused fogging of an unexposed photographic plate.

Question 4

Who introduced the term ‘Radioactivity’ and when?

Answer 4

Marie Curie introduced the term ‘Radioactivity’ in 1898.

Question 5

When was X-ray first used in cancer treatment?

Answer 5

X-ray was first used in cancer treatment on January 29, 1896, by the E. H. Grubb company.

Question 6

Where and when was the first clinical use of X-rays in the US?

Answer 6

The first clinical use of X-rays in the US was in Dartmouth, MA, in February 1896.

Question 7

What were the consequences of early radiation research?

Answer 7

Early radiation research led to many deaths from radiation-induced illnesses due to lack of protection.

Question 8

How did Thomas Edison’s assistant die?

Answer 8

Thomas Edison’s assistant died from a radiation-induced tumour.

Question 9

What was radium paint used for during World War I?

Answer 9

During World War I, radium paint was used on military aircraft instruments to make them glow in the dark.

Question 10

What were the health consequences for the women painting with radium?

Answer 10

The women suffered from unexplained anaemia, disease complications with their mouth, teeth, and jaw, and several died.

Question 11

When did the German Roentgen Society adopt a resolution for radiation protection?

Answer 11

The German Roentgen Society adopted a resolution for radiation protection in 1913.

Question 12

When did the US start inspecting and calibrating radiation equipment?

Answer 12

The US started inspecting and calibrating radiation equipment in 1927.

Question 13

When was the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) formed?

Answer 13

The ICRP was formed in 1928.

Question 14

What is the role of the NCRP?

Answer 14

The NCRP maintains guidelines to protect individuals and the public from excessive exposure to radiation.

Question 15

Why is there a lag in radiation regulations in the Caribbean?

Answer 15

The lag in radiation regulations in the Caribbean is due to lack of expert professionals, governmental priorities, and absence of aggressive lobbying.

Question 16

Which Caribbean countries have implemented radiation regulations?

Answer 16

Jamaica and Cuba have implemented radiation regulations.

Question 17

When was Cuba’s nuclear and radiation safety system founded?

Answer 17

Cuba’s nuclear and radiation safety system was founded in 1982.

Question 18

When was the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act passed in Jamaica?

Answer 18

The Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act was passed in Jamaica in 2015.

Question 19

What is the role of the Hazardous Substances Regulatory Authority (HSRA) in Jamaica?

Answer 19

The HSRA is responsible for administering radiation protection Acts and ensuring compliance with radiation regulations.

Question 20

What are some functions of the HSRA in Jamaica?

Answer 20

The HSRA’s functions include licensing, inspection, regulatory compliance, enforcement measures, and establishment of safety standards.

Question 21

What is a rad?

Answer 21

Rad stands for radiation absorbed dose, which is the amount of radiant energy absorbed in a certain amount of tissue.

Question 22

What is a gray (Gy)?

Answer 22

A gray (Gy) is a unit of absorbed radiation equal to the dose of one joule of energy absorbed per kilogram of matter, or 100 rad. It is named after British physician L. Harold Gray.

Question 23

What does rem stand for?

Answer 23

Rem stands for roentgen-equivalent-man, a unit of measurement that accounts for different biological responses to different kinds of radiation, measuring equivalent dose.

Question 24

What is a roentgen (R, r)?

Answer 24

A roentgen is the international unit of exposure dose for x-rays or gamma rays, named after Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, who discovered x-rays.

Question 25

What is a sievert (Sv)?

Answer 25

A sievert (Sv) is the unit for measuring ionizing radiation effective dose, accounting for relative sensitivities of different tissues and organs exposed to radiation, measuring effective dose.

Question 26

What is radioactivity?

Answer 26

Radioactivity refers to the amount of ionizing radiation released by a material, representing how many atoms in the material decay in a given time period, measured in becquerel (Bq) or curie (Ci).

Question 27

What is exposure in radiation terms?

Answer 27

Exposure describes the amount of radiation traveling through the air, measured in coulomb/kilogram (C/kg) or roentgen (R).

Question 28

What is absorbed dose?

Answer 28

Absorbed dose describes the amount of radiation absorbed by an object or person, measured in gray (Gy) or rad.

Question 29

What is effective dose?

Answer 29

Effective dose describes the amount of radiation absorbed by a person, adjusted for the type of radiation received and the effect on particular organs, measured in sievert (Sv) or rem.

Question 30

What is a curie (Ci)?

Answer 30

A curie is a unit of radioactivity, defined as 3.7x10^10 radioactive decays per second.

Question 31

What is a becquerel (Bq)?

Answer 31

A becquerel is a unit of radioactivity, defined as 1 radioactive decay per second, equal to 2.703x10^-11 curie.

Question 32

What is the biological dose?

Answer 32

The biological dose, or dose equivalent, is expressed in rem or sievert (Sv) and reflects the biological damage caused by different types of radiation.

Question 33

What is the linear energy transfer (LET)?

Answer 33

LET is the density of energy deposition in a material, such as tissue, defined as the average energy deposited per unit length of track of radiation, measured in keV/μm.

Question 34

What is the Fricke chemical dosimeter?

Answer 34

The Fricke chemical dosimeter measures radiation doses by the chemical change of ferrous ions (Fe^+2) into ferric ions (Fe^+3), through optical absorption of ferric ions.

Question 35

What are thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD)?

Answer 35

TLD measure radiation dose through luminescence induced by thermal treatment after radiation exposure, using trapped electrons in lithium fluoride.

Question 36

What are ionization chambers?

Answer 36

Ionization chambers measure ionization of air molecules exposed to radiation, using an air-filled chamber with two electrodes to which voltage is applied.

Question 37

What is film dosimetry?

Answer 37

Film dosimetry uses special radiographic films to measure radiation dose profiles, useful for verification in radiotherapy but with limited accuracy and dose range.

Question 38

What is radiation biology?

Answer 38

Radiation biology is the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living organisms, involving physics, chemistry, and biology.

Question 39

What is water radiolysis?

Answer 39

Water radiolysis is the chemical changes in water caused by exposure to ionizing radiation, leading to the formation of short-lived radicals such as OH• and H•.

Question 40

What are direct and indirect effects of ionizing radiation?

Answer 40

Direct effects involve ionizing radiation acting directly on biological molecules to produce radicals, while indirect effects involve secondary reactions, such as water radiolysis producing radicals that cause biological damage.