CURRENT STATUS OF RADIATION HAZARDS

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962 · X-Ray Technician

OSTI ID:4075560

Greenfield, M A

An evaluation of radiation hazards is presented and an attempt made to answer the following questions: what radiation dosages is man subjected to because of cosmic rays, natural radioactivity, and man-made radiation; what are the possible consequences of exceeding significantly the official recommendations; and what steps may one take to achieve reasonable protection against the hazard of excessive exposure. The total gonadal dose for the first 30 years of life is estimated to be 8.7 rad (4.0 from natural sources, 4.6 from medical sources, and 0.1 rad from fallout). Thus the estimated average existing man-made radiation exposure is already close to the upper limit of 10 rad prescribed by the National Academy of Sciences. At this time the single largest contribution comes from diagnostic radiology (4.1 rad). Genetic and somatic effects are also discussed and the conclusion reached that the available evidence still does not either confirm or deny the existence of a dose threshold for leukemia production. Steps necessary for reasonable protection are discussed and it is concluded that is is justifiable to design fixed radiology installations so that personnel do not receive more than 1/3 of the maximum permissible dose for whole-body radiation over long periods of time. (BBB)

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• NSA Number: NSA-18-016251
• OSTI ID: 4075560
• Journal Information: X-Ray Technician, Journal Name: X-Ray Technician Vol. Vol: 33
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
BODY
COSMIC RADIATION
FALLOUT
GENETICS
GONADS
HEALTH AND SAFETY
IRRADIATION
LEUKEMIA
MAN
PERSONNEL
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOGRAPHY
SAFETY