Radiation Protection Basics

Shielding of Ionizing Radiation

Dr.Verius Michael

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Overview
General Remarks Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation) Shielding of b-Radiation Shielding of -Radiation (Shielding of Neutron-Radiation)
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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General Remarks
In shielding of ionizing radiation we have to differ between charged and neutral radiation:
Charged radiation (,b,p):
It exists a finite thickness of an absorber, so that the primary particle radiation is absorbed totally Rmax<dAbs Rmax...max. active range dAbs...min. thickness of absorber material

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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General Remarks
Charged radiation (,b,p):
Radiation / Energy Air [cm] b 0.1MeV 1MeV 10MeV 5MeV 8MeV 10 300 3900 6 8 Rmax H2O [mm] 0.1 5 60 <0.1 <0.1 Al [mm] 0.05 1.5 20 <0.1 <0.1 max. range Rmax of and b- radiation

Attention: Due to the decelleration of an charged particle within the absorber a secondary radiation will be generated Bremsstrahlung!!
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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General Remarks
Neutral radiation (n,g): An entire shielding of the whole neutral radiation is never possible if the thickness of an absorber is big enough, the remaining radiation can be reduced to a minimal amount!! DmaxDtolerance if dAbsdmin For shielding dimensioning two questions have to be answered: 1. Is a pre-existing shielding thick enough to guarantee a dose below Dtolerance? 2. Which strength and what material is needed to reach the demanded minimum dose limit?
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

In RP the shielding of x-Rays and gRays are very important in medicine due to their large active range. Both are electromagnetic radiation or photon radiation depending on their energies (wave-particle dualism). For easier calculations of shieldings the concept of a point-shaped source is used. The generation of secondary photons has to be considered when dimensioning radiation shieldings (working with build-up factors).

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

Schematic graphics of shielding and radiation: 1...direct (remaining) radiation 2...absorbed radiation 3a...scattered radiation (by the absorber) which hits not the person 3b...secondary (build-up) radiation (by the absorber), hitting the person 3c... secondary (build-up) radiation (by surrounding materials like floor), hitting the person

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

This figure shows, that the absorber/absorber material cannot be chosen randomly. In 3b we can see the radiation is build-up (AufbauEffekt) by the absorber and led to the person, which wouldnt have reached without an absorber!!! demand on small absorbers which are very close to radiation source!!!

This build-up effect depends strongly on absorber thickness and used photon energies Eph>500keV
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

The total dose rate of a person (in distance r) is estimated by summing up all partial dose rates of different photon energies. Considering the source Q is point shaped, the precise calculated dose rate in a point P is:

A p ( E ) 0,01 k ( E ) & D( E ) = B( E , b) exp(b) 2 r 4 * cos( )

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

A p( E ) 0,01 k ( E ) & D( E ) = B ( E , b) exp(b) 2 r 4 * cos( )
& D(E )... dose rate at energie E [Sv/h] A ... activity of point source [Bq]

p (E ) ... probability of photon emission at energy level E [%]

k (E ) ... conversion factor for different energies E B( E , b)... build-up factor for different absorber materials coefficients b and energies E b(E ) ... shielding path length; b is dependent on absorption coeff. t (Photoeffect
coeff.), scatter coeff. s and the pair production coefficient k

... penetration angle

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

If a source emits only at one energy, the formula reduces to:

& A k ( E ) B( E , b) exp(b) D= 4 r 2
1 2 3

Part 1:Dose rate of a source in a distance of r without shielding Part 2: Additional rate of dose rate due to Build-Up radiation generated by absorber and/or surrounding materials like floor, walls, devices,etc... (led to the person). For E<500keV: B(E,b) can calculated as an additional 20% of absorber thickness. Part 3: exponential dose reduction by the absorber.
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

If a source emits more than on one energy level, the calculations should be performed for every occuring energy, but normally performed just for the most penetrating energy (in general the highest energy).

Example: Radioactive substance, Emax=1,4MeV and Activity=3,7*1010Bq request: dose rate in 1m distance has to be lower than 10Sv/h wall thickness of lead: >=110mm (from a table not listed)

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

For estimation of proper shielding thicknesses several tables are available. There you find values for Half-value thickness or 1/100th-value thickness,etc..
Energy Radiation Fe(K) W(K) Ir 192 Co 60 [MeV] 0,006 0.06 0.3 1,33 Al 94 0,3 / [cm/g] Cu 98 1,5 0.1 Pb 420 5 0,3 0,05 /...mass attenuation coefficient d1/2... absorber thickness, where the dose rate decreases to one half d1/100... absorber thickness, where the dose rate decreases to one hundredth Al 0,03 10 10 d1/2 [mm] Cu 0.01 0,6 7,7 Pb 0.001 0.1 2 12 Al 0,2 67 d1/100 [mm] Cu 0,06 4 50 Pb 0.01 0.8 14 82

Attention: In case of very large shieldings, the attenuation of the radiation can be significant lower due to the Build-Up Factor!!
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of electromagnetic radiation (photon radiation)

Rule of Thumb for Radiation Protection (in air and energies 0.01Mev...2MeV):

4GBq, 1m 4MBq, 1m 4kBq, 1m

1mSv/h 1Sv/h 1nSv/h

This rule of thumb is a very rough estimation and does not replace a precise calculation in terms of dimensioning!!!
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of b-radiation
As previously mentioned, a interaction with matter and electrons or positrons, leads to the so called Bremsstrahlung. Therefor a proper shielding has to be considered for bradiation:

Its always constructed of a thick (d1) and leight material and a thin (d2) and heavy material.
absorber bsource

d1

d2

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of b-radiation
The first is used for absorbing the bradiation (d1>Rmax) and should contain matter with a low atomic number ( generated). few secondary radiation is

The second material with high density (i.e. Pb) is used for absorbing the seondary bremsstrahlung.

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of b-radiation
Maximum range of bradiation is estimated:

R ,max =

0,546 E max 0,16

Rmax...max. range of beta-radiation [cm] Emax... max. energy [MeV] ... density of absorber [g/cm]

H20 1 7.6mm Al 2.7 3mm NaJ 3.7 2mm

Air P [g/cm3] Rs.max 0.0013 6.0m

Cu 8.92 0.9mm

Pb 11.35 0.67mm

Maximum range of bradiation of P32 , Emax=1,7MeV Rmean Mean b -Energy [MeV] 0.1 0.2 0.5 1 3
Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

Air [m] 0.13 0.4 1.7 4.1 14

Soft Tissue [mm] 0.14 0.43 1.7 4.3 15 Mean range of b- radiation in air and soft tissue [ICRP 38]

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Shielding of b-radiation
Additional Comments: Since PET (Positronen-Emissions-Tomography) becomes more and more popular, peculiar attention has to be paid on RP in this field of radiodiagnostics. Here short life b+-radiating substances as F18, O15 and others are injected. By pair recombination with tissue electrons these positrons are annihilated and emit hard gradiation (E g =511keV) which has to be shielded with heavy absorbers.

Special care and attention should be put on the doctors fingers (injections of patients)!! Finger dosimeter!!

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of -radiation
Shielding against alfa-radiation is not necessary due to the short active range within matter it gets absorbed allready in the most upper skin layer or by clothes.

But its crucial to avoid contamination of body surfaces, because a possible incorporation could lead to a severe irradiation within the body as a result of its high relativ biologic effectiveness (20 times higher than x-rays!!)

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

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Shielding of neutron radiation

For the attenuation of fast neutrons (0,1MeV < En < 50MeV) only absorbers with low atomic numbers are used. The transfer of the incoming energy is provided by elastic collisions with those materials; special materials with Hydrogen is used (H2O, Hydrocarbons, Paraffin ,...). Heavy materials such as lead are more or less without any effect, cause there is no electrical interaction with the radiation (neutral). During attenuation of neutrons very within the leight material hard y-raxs are generated, which have to be shielded by heavy materials (lead,...).
absorber neutron source

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius

leight (H1-compunds )

heavy(lead)

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Example calculation
See slide page 12: Emax=1,4MeV and Activity=3,7*1010Bq request: dose rate in 1m distance has to be lower than 10Sv/h

3,7*1010Bq @10mSv/h (see rule of thumb) 10mSv/h / 10Sv/h = 1000 (attenuation factor) with d1/100 + 3*d1/2 we can reach the requested dose rate ( for Co60: 82mmPb +3*12mm Pb=118mmPb).

Radiation Protection Basics Dr.Michael Verius