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Radiation work permit authorizes specific work or tasks, describes special radiation
safety controls, describes potential hazards associated with the work. Information required
includes actions to be taken in an emergency, work time limits, dose limitations, conditions
which make the RWP void. Fords words set of form describing what the job is, requirements of
the job, what the dos rates are, places you need to avoid, also used for record keeping.
7. Define the terms half-value layer and tenth-value layer. If the linear attenuation
coefficient is known, how are these two parameters calculated?
HVL: layer of material at which the intensity of photon beam is decreased by a factor of
one-half after going through it
TVL: Intensity of photon beam is decreased by a factor of 10
Linear attenuation coefficient (): =(.693)/(x1/2) so HVL is .693/ and TVL is ln(10)/
8. Define the term build-up factor and relaxation length.
Build up factor: the ratio of total flux to uncollided flux
Relaxation Length: distance or thickness of a material that it takes to reduce the original
beam intensity by a factor of 1/e.
9. What are the three principal uses of x-ray machines?
Diagnostic , radiation therapy, non destructive testing
10. For x-ray shielding, explain the difference between the primary beam, the scattered beam,
and the leakage radiation.
Primary beam is the beam you intend to use, or the photons that leave the source and
reach a point unscattered, scattered beam is radiation of primary beam that gets scattered when it
strikes a surface, and leakage radiation is radiation that comes out through the shield.
11. What assumptions are made for the intensity of the scattered beam relative that of the
primary beam?
It is less, energy is much lower due to attenuation
12. What are the effective dose limits outside an x-ray room for controlled areas and
uncontrolled areas? Be sure to give your answers in mSv/week.
Controlled is 1 mSv/week
Uncontrolled is .1 mSv/week
13. Define the following terms important in x-ray room shielding:
a. occupancy factor
fraction of the time that an area outside the barrier is likely to be occupied by a given
individual
b. workload
weekly amount of use of the x-ray machine
c. use factor
fraction of the workload during which the useful beam is pointed in a direction under
consideration
14. Define the term internal dose assessment.
A process of measurement and calculation which results in an estimate of the dose to
tissues of the body from the intake of radioactive material
15. What is the annual limit, in SI units, for the committed effective dose equivalent?
h. Chronic exposure
dose delivered over a long period of time, typically at a low dose rate
i. Acute exposure
dose delivered over a short period of time
j. Threshold effects of radiation
effects that occur when levels of radiation exposure are tens, hundreds, or
thousands of times higher than background, and usually when the exposure is over
a very short time
k. Latent period
period of time between the time of exposure and the onset of the effect
l. Mitosis
replication of cells that are not gonads
m. Meiosis
replication of cells that are gonads
n. Radiolysis of water
radiation to break the molecular bonds of water to get hydroxide ion OH^(-)and a proton
o. Free radicals
is an atom or molecule carrying an unpaired orbital electron in the outer shell
p. Diploid
two sets of chromosomes
q. Haploid
one set of chromosomes
r. Homologous
a set of one maternal and one paternal chromosome
s. Somatic effects of radiation
non-inheritable, only in the cells of the exposed individual
t. Genetic effects of radiation
-inheritable genetic effects due to alteration of reproductive cells
u. Stochastic effects of radiation
probability of occurrence is a function of dose, severity is not. Observed only at high
doses
v. Nonstochastic effects of radiation
Severity increases with dose, may have a threshold below which no effect is seen