[ RadSafe ] Update on lead aprons in nuclear medicine

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

What, you mean like an experiment?

To quote one of my favorite XKCD cartoons; "Stand Back!  I am going to try SCIENCE!"

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Ted de Castro
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2014 4:22 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Update on lead aprons in nuclear medicine

If you want to do it the 'round about hard way - sure.

If you really want to know the attenuation for a particular isotope you use ...... Just measure it.

On 8/25/2014 3:42 PM, Lemieux, Bryan P wrote:
> 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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