Re: X-Ray Vision Is Here

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

Ron Kathren stated:

>  One could also make a strong argument that
> the voluntarily accepted risk from exposure to an individual can be
> justified by the offsetting greater benefit to a group. 

This is even more of a concern when the allowable dose limits 
continue to be reduced. When individual dose limits are approached, 
and no additional engineering controls can be implemented, additional 
individuals will require exposure. What does this do to the GSD? 
While I believe that exposures at the previous 10CFR20 limits were 
acceptable, i.e., 3 rem/qtr with a completed Form 4, I also believe 
that if we could expose less individuals to ionizing radiation, that 
would be even better, and, that is truly what the ALARA principle was 
all about. It had to do with needless exposure. Increasing an 
individual's exposure to preclude another individual or a group of 
individuals is ALARA. Consider that a single individual can complete 
a project without having to stop, orientate another individual, and 
then that next individual is going to receive some orientation 
exposure until they are ready to carry-on where the previous 
individual left off. That is not ALARA.

> >     Each full  body scan of the SECURE 1000 produces approximately
> >     3 microREMs  of emission.  This is  equivalent to the exposure
> >     every  person   receives  each  five  minutes  from  naturally
> >     occurring background environmental radioactivity.

This equates to 36 microR/hr. I am not aware of a typical area that 
has this as the natural background. More like 6 to 10 microR/hr seems 
appropriate.

Roy Parker stated:

> >This  obviously   raises  some  moral,  ethical,  radiation  safety  and
> >regulatory control  issues.   Among those  a departure of the prevailing
> >philosophy  of   no  purposeful   ionizing  radiation  exposures  to  an
> >individual unless  there  is  an  appropriate  medical  benefit  to  the
> >individual.

------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3149
  
mailto:sandyfl@ix.netcom.com
mailto:sperle@icnpharm.com

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