RADIATION AND

PRINCIPLES OF Mohammed Abdulahi

MD, Consultant
RADIATION Radiologist

PROTECTION
OBJECTIVES
Radiation and source of radiation
Types of radiation
Biologic effects of radiation
Methods of radiation protection
Magnetic field hazards
Which of the following is not an ionizing radiation?
A. Alpha particles
B. Beta particles
C. Gamma rays
D. X-rays
E. Infrared rays
F. Radiowaves
RADIATION AND SOURCE OF
RADIATION
Radiation refers to the emission or transmission of energy in the
form of waves or particles through space or a medium. This energy
can come in various forms such as electromagnetic waves or
particles.
Radiation can be either ionizing or non-ionizing, depending on its
energy level and ability to ionize atoms and molecules.
Radiation is present everywhere, both from natural sources and
human activities. Most exposure comes from natural sources like
cosmic radiation and radon gas, while medical radiation is the
largest contributor to man-made exposure
SOURCES OF RADIATION
Ionizing radiation: This type of radiation has enough energy to
remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, creating ions. Ionizing
radiation can damage or kill cells and tissues, and it is associated with
health risks like cancer.
Ionizing radiation include:
 Alpha particles(α): two protons and two neutrons
 Beta particles(β)
 Gamma rays(γ)
 X-rays

Non-ionizing Radiation: This type of radiation doesn't have enough

energy to ionize atoms or molecules. It includes: UV radiation, RF
radiation, infrared radiation, visible light and microwaves.
BIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF
IONIZING RADIATION
When the radiation interacts with the body damage is caused to
irradiated cells by two mechanisms:
 Indirectly: ionization produces free radicals which then damage DNA and cell
membranes
 Directly: release of energy from ionization event is enough to break molecular
bonds directly

It also damages non-irradiated cells via:

 Genomic instability in progeny of cells: DNA defects passed on

Dividing cells are most sensitive to radiation when in G2 and

mitosis. The more rapidly a cell is dividing, the greater its
sensitivity
Factors affecting radiation effects:
1. Dose of radiation: Higher doses result in more severe effects, whether
acute or chronic.
2. Type of radiation: Some types of radiation are more harmful than others
3. Duration and frequency of exposure: Short-term high-dose exposure can
lead to acute effects, whereas long-term, low-dose exposure (even over
years) can lead to cancer.
4. Area of the body affected: Radiation exposure can affect different parts of
the body in different ways.
5. Age and gender: Children and young adults are more sensitive to radiation
than older adults. Females may also be at higher risk for certain cancers,
such as breast cancer, from radiation exposure.
6. Protective Measures:
 STOCHASTIC AND DETERMINISTIC
EFFECTS OF RADIATION
Effect Type Stochastic Effects Deterministic Effects

Effects that occur by chance and are based on the

Effects that have a clear threshold dose and their severity
probability of occurrence, typically with no threshold dose.
Definition increases with the dose. These effects usually result from
The severity of the effect does not depend on the dose
high radiation exposure.
received.

Occur soon after exposure (minutes to days) with higher

Onset Occur after a long latency period (years or decades).
doses.

- Radiation burns
- Cancer (e.g., leukemia, thyroid cancer, lung cancer)
- Acute radiation sickness
Examples - Genetic mutations
- Cataracts
- Heritable effects in offspring
- Sterility or infertility

Non-threshold: There is no safe lower limit of dose; any Threshold: Effects occur only after a certain dose is
Dose-Response Relationship
exposure carries some risk. exceeded, and the severity increases with higher doses.

Severity does not increase with dose, but the probability of Severity increases with the dose; a higher dose leads to
Severity of Effects
occurrence increases as the dose increases. more severe damage.

Can occur even with low radiation doses over time (e.g., High radiation doses (e.g., from a nuclear accident or
Example Dose Level
occupational exposure, environmental exposure). radiation therapy).

Mainly caused by the random damage to DNA in cells, Caused by direct damage to tissues or organs, leading to
Mechanism
leading to mutations and cancer development. cell death or functional impairment.
RADIATION PROTECTION
Radiation protection is based on the three fundamental
principles of justification of exposure, keeping doses (of ionizing
radiation) as low as reasonably achievable (optimization) and the
application of dose limits.
Justification(benefit vs risk principle: an individual's exposure to
medical radiation should always have a greater benefit to the patient as to outweigh
the negative consequences of the proposed examination
Optimization: also known at the as low as reasonably achievable
(ALARA) principle. That is, medical radiation exposures should
always be kept as low as achievable to ensure it is employed
optimally.
Dose limits: The limits are split into two groups, the public, and
occupationally-exposed workers
 Public exposure limits of 1 mSv in a year
 Occupation exposure limit of 20mSv averaged over 5yrs
Other protective methods:
 Time: minimize exposure
time
 Distance: maximize the
distance between you and
the source of radiation
 Shielding: use materials that
absorb or block such as lead
aprons
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
HAZARD
MRI is one of the imaging modality that is widely used in radiology.
There is no dangerous radiation in MRI instead it uses very high
magnetic field up to 7Tesla (1 Tesla = 20000 times earth gravity).
This strong magnetic field produces powerful attractive force and
torque which the magnet exerts on ferromagnetic objects, this is
called missile effect.
The missile effect can pose a significant risk to anyone in the path
of the projectile, and cause significant damage to the scanner.
The effect is clearly greater for high field systems
To guard against accidents from metallic projectiles, the "5 gauss
line" should be clearly demarcated and the area with that line kept
free of ferromagnetic objects.
It is essential that patient with ferromagnetic surgical clips,
implants containing ferromagnetic components, and persons who
have suffered shrapnel or steel fragment injuries, especially to the
eyes, be excluded from the imager.
A number of general precautions must be taken to ensure the
safety of patients and personal working in the imaging suite.
Access to the imaging area should be limited, and signs should be
displayed to warn persons with cardiac pacemaker or neuro-
stimulators not to enter the area.
Credit cards and watches with mechanical parts should be left
outside the imaging area to prevent magnetic tape erasure and
watch malfunction.
Some implants are paramagnetic, or even ferromagnetic. These
implants tend to move and align with the main magnetic field.
This results in a force and torque on the implant and the implant
may become dislodged, resulting in severe injury to the patient.
Aneurysm clips are examples of implants that can result in death if
displaced.