[ RadSafe ] Update on lead aprons in nuclear medicine

[Lemieux, Bryan P]

Hello,

You also need to look at what energy the lead equivalence is at.  Many of these composite materials are only "lead equivalent" in the energy range for scatter x-rays from diagnostic energy x-ray beams..... Get the manufacturer data on the actual attenuation properties by energy to see what it would be for your gammas.


Bryan Lemieux, M.S., CHP
Radiation Safety Officer
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
3 N Dunlap St. S110 Van Vleet Bldg
Memphis, TN 38163
Phone:  901-448-6114
Fax:      901-448-7774



-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Jeremy Nicoll
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2014 5:33 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Update on lead aprons in nuclear medicine

I'm not quite sure what you're working with, how much and how close, for how long etc., but the HVL for Tc-99m gammas is 0.3 mm Pb, so that should let you do some calcs.  If the thicknesses you talk of are Pb equivalences then the apron isn't going to do a lot, compared with the inconvenience of wearing it, and the thyroid shield, and perhaps the Pb glass specs.
I don't know of any Nuc Med unit where aprons are worn routinely for RP.

Jeremy

Dr Jeremy J Nicoll
Radiation Safety Advisor
University of Otago


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Ålund Maria
Sent: Thursday, 21 August 2014 12:16 a.m.
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Update on lead aprons in nuclear medicine

Hi,

I am wondering if the lead aprons has ben improved for nuclear medicine workers the latest years. I read a question dated from 1997, *Lead aprons in nuclear medicine,* (*http://health.phys.iit.edu/extended_archive/9703/msg00011.html
<http://health.phys.iit.edu/extended_archive/9703/msg00011.html>) *that stated that lead aprons suitable for x-rays is not necessarily enough shield to be used for gamma rays. Are the composite aprons that weight less equal as good as a conventional lead apron nowadays? And which thickness should then be used? The aprons that are being used at my workplace is made of the composite material and has the thickness of 0.25 and 0.35mm. The radiophysics says that this is enough.

Thanks for your help.



Maria Ålund

Biomedical scientist, Sweden
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