When is radiation safe

These levels are typically found at ground level and away from any significant radiation source. Keep in mind that many minerals may have small levels of radiation in them, so things such as granite and concrete may contribute to the higher 0. Cosmic radiation, the radiation coming from space and the Sun also has an influence. For example, the radiation dose at around 10, metres is around 0.

If we assume that this is constant over the year then their annual radiation dose would be:. However if you factor in 20 hours of air travel then this would rise by 0. Although some medical treatments such as X-Rays and CT scans will exposure you to higher levels, which cause you to exceed the annual dose limit guideline. However, keep in mind that 20 mSv per annual is the guideline for any radiation worker and this is still considered a very safe levels. Not only do we sell radiation detection equipment of all shapes and sizes, including radiation detection badges TLD badges and large drive through portal radiation detectors for trucks, we also service, calibrate and repair these devices.

By Jim Stallard Thursday, May 28, Radiation treatment is one of the most common and effective ways to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. At Memorial Sloan Kettering, approximately half of our adult cancer patients undergo radiation therapy as a primary treatment or as part of a broader approach that includes chemotherapy, surgery, or other therapies.

For many cancers, radiation therapy may be all that is needed to treat the disease. There are different ways to deliver radiation treatment. With external-beam radiation therapy, treatment is delivered from a machine outside the body. With internal radiation brachytherapy , sealed sources of radioactivity are placed near or within the tumor. Less commonly, radiation treatment can also be given using liquid materials in capsules by mouth or infusion through a vein systemic radiation.

Although radiation treatment has been widely used for decades, there still is confusion and misunderstandings about its safety. We asked MSK clinical physicist Lawrence Dauer and medical physicist Matthew Williamson to tell us about the concerns they hear most frequently from patients and their families — and the answers and reassurance they provide. External-beam therapy, the most common type of radiation treatment, does not make a person radioactive in any way.

It is applied most often in the form of x-rays by a linear accelerator. The therapy is designed to deliver precise amounts of energy to tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. The radiation is present only when the linear accelerator is operating. When you receive external-beam radiation, you are unable to contaminate or transfer that radiation to any other person. We have carefully developed methods for calibrating radiation beams to ensure they reach the areas they are intended to target.

Even when nearby normal tissues receive small amounts of radiation, it is rare for long-term damage to occur.

Our doctors and physicists also know how much radiation healthy tissue can receive without causing significant damage. They use this information to develop a patient-specific treatment. We often use special masks, molds, or casts of body parts to keep you completely still during treatment so that we can aim the radiation beams precisely to the area that needs to be treated.

With brachytherapy , we use a needle or a catheter to insert radioactive material contained within a sealed source such as a seed, pellet, wire, or capsule. As the radioactive material inside the implants decays naturally over time, it emits radiation that deposits energy to treat nearby cancer cells.

This radioactivity travels only a certain distance beyond the implant. Within a few weeks or months, the implant no longer gives off any radiation. We give people specific precautions to minimize exposure to others from the implanted radioactive material. Most of our safety concerns are related to being in physical contact with children for extended periods of time because their bodies are undergoing such rapid change and growth.

Prostate seeds are sealed sources. You cannot contaminate another person by being in his or her physical vicinity, during sexual intercourse, or through any other form of intimate contact. Your doctor or a member of the radiation safety staff will discuss any special precautions you should take with sleep arrangements before you leave the hospital. Radioactive iodine treatment involves swallowing a capsule or liquid form of radioactive iodine that all thyroid cells take up absorb , destroying them.

For several days following this therapy, radioactive substances can be emitted through body fluids such as saliva, urine, and sweat. We send patients home with detailed instructions on how to care for themselves for the first few days — from limiting contact with young children and pets to using separate utensils and towels.

Doctors sometimes use small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose disease. This is called nuclear medicine. The radioactive material will stay in your body for several hours or days, depending on the type that is used.

Eventually, the material decays and your body naturally flushes it out through urine, sweat, and other forms of biological elimination. We make sure the specifics are clear to you before the test, and we may also issue an information card explaining your treatment in case you are questioned by someone in airport security, for example. You can learn more about nuclear medicine approaches here. So it's a big surprise that I now have a full blown sarcoma.

Following Brachytherapy and beam radiation is there a limit to the amount of radiation to a particular site? If further cancer develops in the bone area already treated can further radiation be used to quell or kill the cancer? What is the outcome of too much radiation to a bone or soft tissue site?

Are there further options in such circumstances? Thanks for your help. Roger, thanks for reaching out! There are no specific regulatory limits on the amount of radiation to a particular site during treatment when that treatment has been deemed appropriate and justified by your doctor. Our doctors follows appropriateness criteria and accepted professional guidance, along with best procedures based on the latest research to deliver appropriate treatments.

Decisions about the best therapy and best technology are based on each individual case. Also, different tissues have a different sensitivity and response to various types of radiation. Each case is unique. But if you or someone you care for has had radiation to the bone and you are wondering about treatment options, we encourage you to consult with one of our specialists.

Please call our Physician Referral Service at Radiation caused damages to chromosomes. Will long term Radiotherapy treatment cause permanent chromosomal damages leading to gene mutation? Minus Related Pages. Time Time refers to the amount of time you spend near a radiation source. Minimize your time near a radiation source to only as long as it takes to accomplish a task.

First responders can use alarming dosimeters to help them minimize the amount of time they are in an area with elevated radiation levels. Distance Distance refers to how close you are to a radiation source. Maximize your distance from a radioactive source as much as possible. If you increase your distance from a radiation source, you will decrease your dose. Shielding In a radiation emergency you may be asked to get inside a building and take shelter for a period of time.

To shield yourself from a radiation source, put something between you and the source. In a radiation emergency, officials may instruct you to get inside and put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.