Radiological emergencies and the medical physicist.

Abstract

The widespread damage and loss of life caused by the March 11th earthquake-generated tsunami in Japan, and the resulting emergency at the Fukushima—Daiichi nuclear power facility, raise once again the question of the role of knowledgeable civilians in responding to public health emergencies. In the case of a radiological emergency, medical physicists are among the more knowledgeable individuals in the private sector with regard to several relevant issues including radiation exposures and risks, radioactive contamination, and the fear of radiation that make management of a radiological emergency so difficult. The challenges for medical physicists are to know the consequences of radiation exposure and radioactive contamination, to separate fantasy from fact in dealing with these consequences, and to address the consequences in a manner that instils confidence rather than fear in those who are less knowledgeable. All medical physicists should be knowledgeable about radiological emergencies and prepared to respond to an emergency if one occurs in their vicinity. Four types of radiological emergency would potentially expose large numbers of people to high amounts of radiation and require an emergency response that involves medical physicists. These types of events are (1) the detonation of a nuclear weapon or improvised nuclear device , with an impact on the order of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs, or possibly larger; (2) a crisis at a nuclear power plant, including a possible core meltdown and the release of radioactive contamination, such as is possible at the Fukushima— Daiichi nuclear complex; (3) activation of an explosive radiological dispersal device, sometimes termed a ―dirty bomb‖; and (4) placement of a hidden radioactive source in a highly populated area where many people could be exposed to substantial doses of radiation. Somewhat less threatening but still of major concern is a transportation accident involving a cargo with high levels of radioactivity. One or more of these events is conceivable anywhere in the world. Should one occur, medical physicists in the vicinity will be recruited as experts in the management of the after-effects of the event, including the possible exposure of many individuals to radiation and/or radioactive contamination. The question every medical physicist should ask is ―How prepared am I to respond if called upon to help in the management of a radiological emergency?‖ There are several information sources that a medical physicist can access to expand his/her preparedness for a radiological emergency. A good place to start is a …