Journal of Radiological Protection最新文献

{"title":"Thorium ore dust research applicable to mineral sands industry workers.","authors":"G S Hewson, M I Ralph, M Cattani","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/adacf6","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/adacf6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Historically, radiation exposure to mineral sands workers arose primarily from intake of thorium associated with monazite dust generated in mineral separation plants. Research investigations in the 1990s provided greater insight into the characteristics of inhaled thorium ore dust and bioassay studies inferred that some workers had accumulated significant lung burdens of thorium. Recent changes to biokinetic models have increased the radiation dose assessed to arise from thorium intake, raising questions on the appropriateness of current assumptions used in exposure assessment and feasibility of further bioassay research. Past radiation research undertaken in the Western Australian mineral sands industry is summarised and findings from contemporary research relevant to thorium ore dust exposure, thorium health effects and the associated assessment of internal radiation dose are reviewed and analysed. Radiation exposures in the industry have reduced substantially in the last two decades, however current workplace exposure measurement regimes may not reflect the actual intake of monazite-bearing dusts on an individual basis. Past research indicated that thorium associated with monazite dust is relatively insoluble and avidly retained in the lung. There is a paucity of published research on thorium retention and excretion by mine workers over the last 20 years, however significant advances have been made in the detection of thorium in biospecimens. Improvements in measurement technology should make periodic bioassay measurements feasible for selected long-term workers involved in the mining and processing of naturally occurring radioactive materials. Past worker dose estimates require re-evaluation following recent updates to biokinetic models and long-term follow up of the health of workers chronically exposed to thorium ore dusts is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation exposure in concurrent abdominoplevic and chest CT Scans: an analysis of overlap and clinical impact.","authors":"Han Song Mun, Sanghyeok Lim, Ji Eun Lee, Min Hee Lee, Seo-Youn Choi, Ji Eun Moon","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/adaa82","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/adaa82","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the additional radiation exposure, influencing factors, and clinical significance of overlapping<i>Z</i>-axis coverage in abdominopelvic CT scans performed consecutively after same-day chest CT scans. Data from 761 patients were analyzed, with measuring the total and overlapping<i>Z</i>-axis coverage of the portal venous phase in abdominopelvic CT scans. The average overlapping portion was 33.8 ± 12.1 mm, accounting for approximately 7.0% of the total scan length, contributing a dose-length product of 33.4 mGy*cm and an effective radiation dose of 0.5 mSv. Male sex and the total scan length were identified as significant factors influencing overlap (<i>p</i>= 0.002 and < 0.001, respectively). Despite overlapping scans frequently imaging the lower lungs, only 8.4% of abdominopelvic CT reports specifically mentioned lower lung abnormalities, indicating limited clinical utility. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing CT protocols to minimize the total length of the body covered in abdominopelvic scans, thereby reducing unnecessary radiation exposure during concurrent chest and abdominopelvic CT scans.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143015122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eye lens dosimetry: does the direction of rotation (vertical or horizontal) play a role in type testing?","authors":"Behnam Khanbabaee, Rolf Behrens, Onur Erdem","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/adaaff","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/adaaff","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) lowering the annual dose limit for the eye lens to 20 mSv, precise monitoring of eye lens exposure has become essential. The personal dose equivalent at a depth of 3 mm,<i>H</i>_p(3), is the measurement method for monitoring the dose to the lens of the eye. Usual dosemeter type-test irradiations at non-normal angles of radiation incidence (<i>α</i>≠ 0°) primarily use lateral radiation exposure scenarios, where radiation approaches from the left or right, necessitating rotation of the dosemeter-phantom setup around a vertical axis. However, this method does not adequately account for bottom-to-top radiation exposures which are common in real-world situations (such as radiation scattered by a patient reaching medical staff). This study examines oblique radiation exposure conditions using a typical eye lens thermoluminescent dosemeter (TLD), Eye-D, placed on a cylindrical phantom to assess dose response at different angles and exposure energies. The study employs both low-energy (N-30 radiation quality with a mean photon energy of 25 keV) and medium-energy (N-100 radiation quality with a mean photon energy of 83 keV) x-rays at irradiation angles of<b>-</b>60°, 0°, and +60°, measured along the vertical and horizontal rotation axes of the dosemeter-phantom setup. The results show no significant difference between horizontal and vertical (polar and radial) rotation orientations of the dosemeter-phantom setup: recorded relative doses stayed well within ± 1 %, i.e. by far within the attributed combined uncertainty of ± 2 %.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143015119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advantages of aligning with ICRP dose limits for India's nuclear program.","authors":"D K Aswal, Anirudh Chandra","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/adaafe","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/adaafe","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this submission we opine on India adopting a rather stringent maximum single year dose limit, instead of harmonizing with international standards. We explore how dose limits evolved, why India has opted for a lower maximum effective dose limit of 30 mSv for a single year and argue that raising this limit to at least 50 mSv, in line with International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations, would not only contribute to upcoming revised ICRP publications but also support the realization of India's nuclear ambitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143015115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How much resources are reasonable to spend on radiological protection?","authors":"A Engström, M Isaksson, R Javid, P A Larsson, C Lundh, J Wikström, M Båth","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9f73","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9f73","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In short terms, a society's available resources are finite and must be prioritised. The more resources that are spent on radiological protection, the lesser resources are available for other needs. The ALARA principle states that exposure of ionising radiation should be kept as low as reasonably achievable, taking into account economic and societal factors. In practice, one of several approaches to determine what is considered as reasonably achievable is cost-benefit analysis. A demanding part of cost-benefit analysis is to decide on an<i>α</i>value, which stipulates the value of radiological protection. There are different conversion methods on how to convert societal costs into an<i>α</i>value. However, with the assistance of recent developments within both health economics and radiological protection room for improvements was found. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to develop a new conversion method (on how to convert societal costs into an<i>α</i>value) and to provide recommendations of<i>α</i>values for each member country of The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). With the help of systematic reviews of societal costs (the value of a statistical life, productivity losses and healthcare costs) and discount rates, as well as Monte Carlo simulations of the number of years between exposure and cancer diagnosis, a new conversion method and recommendations of<i>α</i>values could be presented. The new conversion method was expressed as a discounted nominal risk of exposure with a median (interquartile range) of 175 (136-222) per 10 000 persons per Sv for the public and 169 (134-207) per 10 000 persons per Sv for workers. For OECD in general, recommendations of<i>α</i>values were determined to be $56-170 per man.mSv for the public and $61-162 per man.mSv for workers (2023-USD).</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142840097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing radiation exposure of fingers of PET/CT technologists during¹⁸F-FDG procedures using active extremity dosimeters: a single-center study.","authors":"Vijitha Ramanathan, S P Gamage, Uiu Karunathilaka, Wmis Wickramasinghe, Ranga Tudugala","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9f72","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9f72","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extremity radiation exposure in nuclear medicine is a growing concern because it may surpass the maximum permissible dose of 500 mSv. This study aimed to assess the occupational finger dose received by technologists during the preparation and administration of¹⁸F-FDG radiopharmaceuticals in positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) whole-body scan procedures. Fifty scans were selected, with one procedure excluded due to a high administered activity. The mean administered activity per scan was 207.2 ± 41.8 MBq, with preparation and administration times averaging 1.44 ± 1.30 min and 0.46 ± 0.31 min, respectively. The technologist's mean total finger dose received during preparation and administration was 253.5 ± 153.3 <i>µ</i>Sv per procedure. A significant positive correlation was found between the administered activity and occupational dose, with patient's body mass index, preparation time, and administration time also contributing to dose variation. Based on 703 PET-CT procedures conducted in 2022, the estimated occupational finger dose for a technologist was 178.2 mSv annually. This value is well below the International Commission on Radiological Protection's maximum permissible dose of 500 mSv. The findings of this study have a significant impact on extremity dosimetry in nuclear medicine in Sri Lanka, as this is the first study of its kind.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142840091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Descriptive overview of AI applications in x-ray imaging and radiotherapy.","authors":"John Damilakis, John Stratakis","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9f71","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9f71","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming medical radiation applications by handling complex data, learning patterns, and making accurate predictions, leading to improved patient outcomes. This article examines the use of AI in optimising radiation doses for x-ray imaging, improving radiotherapy outcomes, and briefly addresses the benefits, challenges, and limitations of AI integration into clinical workflows. In diagnostic radiology, AI plays a pivotal role in optimising radiation exposure, reducing noise, enhancing image contrast, and lowering radiation doses, especially in high-dose procedures like computed tomography (CT). Deep learning (DL)-powered CT reconstruction methods have already been incorporated into clinical routine. Moreover, AI-powered methodologies have been developed to provide real-time, patient-specific radiation dose estimates. These AI-driven tools have the potential to streamline workflows and potentially become integral parts of imaging practices. In radiotherapy, AI's ability to automate and enhance the precision of treatment planning is emphasised. Traditional methods, such as manual contouring, are time-consuming and prone to variability. AI-driven techniques, particularly DL models, are automating the segmentation of organs and tumours, improving the accuracy of radiation delivery, and minimising damage to healthy tissues. Moreover, AI supports adaptive radiotherapy, allowing continuous optimisation of treatment plans based on changes in a patient's anatomy over time, ensuring the highest accuracy in radiation delivery and better therapeutic outcomes. Some of these methods have been validated and integrated into radiation treatment systems, while others are not yet ready for routine clinical use mainly due to challenges in validation, particularly ensuring reliability across diverse patient populations and clinical settings. Despite the potential of AI, there are challenges in fully integrating these technologies into clinical practice. Issues such as data protection, privacy, data quality, model validation, and the need for large and diverse datasets are crucial to ensuring the reliability of AI systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142840094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Review of the 2024 NEA report: practical guidance for mental health and psychosocial support in radiological and nuclear emergencies.","authors":"Keith Pearce","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9eba","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/ad9eba","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142899995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distribution of plutonium and radium in the human heart.","authors":"Sergey Y Tolmachev, Florencio T Martinez, Jessica E Linson, John D Brockman, Elizabeth M Thomas, Maia Avtandilashvili, George Tabatadze, Richard W Leggett, Caleigh Samuels, Nicole E Martinez, Derek W Jokisch, John D Boice, Lawrence T Dauer","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad9ebb","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/ad9ebb","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since 1968, the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR) has studied the biokinetics and tissue dosimetry of uranium and transuranium elements in nuclear workers. As part of the USTUR collaboration with the Million Person Study (MPS) of Low-Dose Health Effects, radiation dose to different parts of the human heart is being estimated for workers with documented intakes of 239Pu or 226Ra. The study may be expanded for workers with intakes of 238U and other radionuclides. The distribution of radionuclides, expressed in terms of concentration (Bq per kg of tissue) serves as an important parameter for estimating radiation dose. Based on available organs from workers who donated their bodies or tissues for research, nine undissected hearts were selected: seven from USTUR registrants with plutonium exposure (males) and two individuals with radium intakes (female and male). For the plutonium workers, estimated 239Pu systemic deposition ranged from <74 Bq to 1765 Bq. Estimated 226Ra 'initial systemic intakes' were 10.1 MBq and 14.8 kBq for the female patient and male worker, respectively. Organ dissection was based on a heart model published by Borrego et al (2019). This model includes nine cardiac substructures: aorta, left main coronary artery, left atrium, left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, left ventricle, right atrium, right coronary artery, and right ventricle. In addition, heart valves, fat attached to epicardium, fluids, and a coronary bypass graft were collected resulting in 111 samples that are currently undergoing radiochemical analyses and mass-spectrometric measurements. The 239Pu and 226Ra evaluations are not completed. The results of this study are intended to support radiation worker health studies by improving associated dosimetric and epidemiological models.</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142822816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Doses from ionising radiation in paediatric cardiac catheterisations in Norway 1975-2021.","authors":"S Afroz, B H Østerås, Thevethas U S, M Meo, A Jahnen, J Dabin, I Thierry-Chef, T E Robsahm, G Døhlen, H M Olerud","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad958e","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1361-6498/ad958e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Paediatric patients with congenital heart disease often undergo cardiac catheterisation procedures and are exposed to considerable ionising radiation early in life. This study aimed to develop a method for estimating the dose area product (<i>P</i>_KA) from paediatric cardiac catheterisation procedures (1975-1989) at a national centre for paediatric cardiology and to evaluate trends in<i>P</i>_KAand exposure parameters until 2021. Data from 2200 catheterisation procedures on 1685 patients (1975-1989) and 4184 procedures on 2139 patients (2000-2021) under 18 years of age were retrospectively collected.<i>P</i>_KAvalues were missing for 1975-1989 but available from 2000 onward. The missing<i>P</i>_KAwas estimated from air kerma and beam area, based on exposure records and input from clinicians working at that time.<i>P</i>_KAtrends were analysed over time and age. There was a 71% reduction in median<i>P</i>_KAfrom the period 1975-1989 (median 6.63 Gy cm²) to 2011-2021 (1.91 Gy cm²). The<i>P</i>_KAincreases significantly (<i>p</i>= 0.0001) with patient age, which was associated with body weight. Approximately 80% of the total<i>P</i>_KAwas from cine acquisition in 1975-1989, while 20% was from fluoroscopy. The<i>P</i>_KAestimate during 1975-1989 was considerably impacted by the assumptions of missing parameters such as tube filtration, focus-to-heart distance, beam area, and number of cine series. The decreasing trend in<i>P</i>_KAvalues was attributed to advancements in both technologies and clinical practices. The high contribution of cine acquisition to the total dose during 1975-1989 was due to factors such as a high frame rate, multiple acquisitions, and high tube current. The estimated<i>P</i>_KAvalues for the period 1975-1989 are of importance for the dose reconstruction and risk assessments in the EU epidemiology project Health Effects of Cardiac Fluoroscopy and Modern Radiotherapy in Pediatrics(HARMONIC).</p>","PeriodicalId":50068,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Radiological Protection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142689401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}