Accidental exposures in medical

 Accidental exposures in medical applications of radiation uses of radiation, particularly in radiotherapy, can be of concern, w.r.t patient safety, and occupational exposure considerations. New technologies may bring in improvement to the therapy. However, these technologies involve increase in the complexities of the systems, which in turn may cause new types of human error and problems with the equipment.

It is very important that any errors leading to or likely to lead (near misses) to serious consequences need to be investigated in time, and in detail. Dissemination of the information on these errors is crucial in preventing re-occurrence. Lessons learnt from accidental exposures form an invaluable resource for revealing vulnerable aspects of the practice of radiotherapy. For details refer: ICRP 112.

Radon at home

Exposure to radon has been a major health hazard in uranium mines. Radiological safety aspects of the mine workers are adequately addressed in ICRP/IAEA/WHO documents. The issues are discussed in detail in the reference book on Radiological Protection and Safety - A Practitioner’s Guide.

Radon is also found airborne in homes, particularly in dwellings of cold countries, like United States and Canada where the air in the dwellings and work areas is recirculated.

Radon comes from the radioactive decay of natural of uranium/radium present in trace quantities in bricks, soil, rock, and water. Being gaseous, it gets into the air you breathe. Basement areas are more radon prone due to exhalation of radon from the floor and walls. Radon typically moves up through the basement/ground to the air above and into your living areas through cracks and other cavities in the foundation. There is a guide “Home Buyers and Sellers Guide to Radon” by US EPA (www.epa.gov) which covers all the radon related issues.