Potential Health Hazards from Lead Shielding

Klein, R.; Weilandics, C.

doi:10.1080/15428119691014215

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Given that lead is an important shielding material for g-and x-rays, it is generally not feasible to eliminate or substitute it. Therefore, other means must be used to minimize health hazards from dispersible lead (2). Most lead contamination found within the patient areas was around areas that contained lead shielding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Lead Dust Within Nuclear Medicine Departments a Hazard to Pediatric Patients?

Hulbert¹,

Carlson²

2009

Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology

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Because of the penetrating ability of the radiation used in nuclear medicine, metallic lead is widely used as radiation shielding. However, this shielding may present an insidious health hazard because of the dust that is readily removed from the surfaces of lead objects. The lead dust may become airborne, contaminate floors and other nearby surfaces, and be inadvertently inhaled or ingested by patients. We determined if the quantity of lead dust encountered within nuclear medicine departments exceeded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Methods: For lead dust quantification, professional lead test kits were used to sample fifteen 1-ft 2 sections of different surfaces within the department. Four samples were collected once per week from each site. The samples were then submitted to a National Lead Laboratory-accredited program for a total lead measurement. Lead contamination (mg/ft 2 ) for each of the 60 samples was compared with the EPA standards for lead dust. Results: Lead contamination was present at 6 of the 15 sites, and of 60 samples, 18 exceeded the EPA standard of 50 mg/ft 2 . Conclusion: Lead contamination is present within nuclear medicine departments, and corrective measures should be considered when dealing with pediatric patients. A larger series needs to be conducted to confirm these findings. Because of the penetrating ability of the radiation used in nuclear medicine, shielding is necessary. Lead and some of its alloys are generally the most cost-effective shielding materials to protect against the effects of g-and x-rays. The properties of lead that make it an excellent shielding material are its density, high atomic number, level of stability, ease of fabrication, high degree of flexibility in application, and availability (1). The most common shielding objects used in nuclear medicine are lead bricks and lead shields for syringes containing radioactive materials. Lead bricks are usually found within the radiopharmacy and are used to shield against higher radiation levels. However, other lead shields that contain the patient's dose can be found within patient areas. Unfortunately, lead may present an insidious health hazard to pediatric patients because of the lead dust that is readily removed from the surface of lead objects. Although the density of lead dust is high, it may still become airborne, contaminate floors and other nearby work surfaces, and be inadvertently inhaled or ingested (2). Lead dust liberated within the imaging areas may be available to the exploring fingers of pediatric patients.Lead dust is a major source of lead exposure in children. Lead dust is taken in through the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. Because children have a higher respiratory rate than adults do, children tend to respire and absorb more airborne lead. After absorption, lead enters the child's bloodstream, where it becomes a powerful and versatile toxin. Lead can affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, bone marrow, kidneys, myocardium, and the endocrine and immune systems. The onl...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Lead Dust Within Nuclear Medicine Departments a Hazard to Pediatric Patients?

Hulbert¹,

Carlson²

2009

Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology

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“…These materials find application in personal protective equipment (PPE), protective panels, and screens to reduce x‐ray exposure in different industries, including biomedical, space, and nuclear sectors. Indeed, the current use of x‐ray protective materials increases workers' exposure to lead, which poses severe health consequences due to the presence of lead dust in the work environmenxts, often resulting from the deterioration of shielding elements 1,2 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, the current use of x-ray protective materials increases workers' exposure to lead, which poses severe health consequences due to the presence of lead dust in the work environmenxts, often resulting from the deterioration of shielding elements. 1,2 As materials with high mass density (ρ) and containing high atomic number (Z) elements are intrinsically effective for x-ray shielding, 3,4 various multiphase systems containing elements with a high atomic number, such as barium, tungsten, and bismuth, have been investigated for radioprotective purposes to substitute lead, which are often included in compounds with low lead content. 5 Another limitation of conventional lead shielding is its inherent blind spot within the energy range of 70-90 keV.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High filler content acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene composites containing tungsten and bismuth oxides for effective lead‐free x‐ray radiation shielding

Olivieri,

Avolio,

Gentile

et al. 2023

Polymer Composites

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Acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) based composites with a high content of tungsten and bismuth oxide were developed using an innovative process to obtain lead‐free x‐ray shielding materials. ABS was chosen for its good mechanical properties and its widespread availability as a recycled material. The composites underwent flexural tests, Shore D hardness tests, thermogravimetric and morphological analysis, and their x‐ray attenuation properties were determined through numerical simulations and experimental measurements. Despite their high filler content (up to 75 wt%), the composites showed good filler dispersion within the polymeric matrix and maintained their mechanical properties. Across the investigated energy range (50–150 kV), the lead equivalence for x‐ray shielding was achieved with composite plates containing 75 wt% of tungsten and bismuth oxide, at thickness values corresponding to a weight increase of only 29% and 36%, respectively, in comparison to lead. These findings pave the way for a new generation of lead‐free x‐ray shielding materials. Moreover, their mechanical properties, including flexibility for potential application in wearable personal protective equipment, can be tailored by adjusting the filler content.Highlights High filler content lead‐free ABS composites with WO3 and Bi2O3 were developed. They show good polymer/filler interfacial adhesion and flexural properties. Numerical simulations of their x‐ray shielding properties were performed. Experimental tests with polychromatic sources confirmed good x‐ray attenuation. Results pave the way for the development of new lead‐free x‐ray shielding systems.

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“…Previous studies have reported the deposition of Pb dust from uncoated Pb-shields on surfaces such as human skins, clothes and floors. Moreover, such Pb dusts can be remained in air where it maybe accidentally ingested and inhaled [10][11][12][13]. These pathways are significant sources of Pb exposures to medical workers and patients [11,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A broad analysis of directly and indirectly ionizing radiation interaction parameters of PbF₂-CaF₂-Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-Cr₂O₃ glass system

Alzahrani¹,

Alrowaili²,

Somaily³

et al. 2022

Phys. Scr.

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This study presents the shielding parameters for directly and indirectly ionisation radiation of PCBBC glasses with the chemical composition: xPbF2–(25-x)CaF2–49.8B2O3–25Bi2O3–0.2Cr2O3 and coded as PCBBC1 – PCBBC4 for x= 0, 5, 15, and 25 respectively. Photon shielding coefficients were estimated by Monte Carlo simulation method via FLUKA code and by XCOM calculations for energies ranging from 0.1 – 10 MeV. In addition, the total stopping powers (TSP) and projected range (R) of electron (e^(-1)), proton (p^+), alpha particle (α), and carbon ion (C^+)) were used to investigate the shielding ability of the glasses against charged particles while fast "Σ" _"R" and thermal σT neutron cross sections were also estimated for the investigated glasses. For PCBBC1 – PCBBC4, linear (mass) attenuation coefficient varies from 16.346 (3.571) – 0.170 (0.037), 17.151 (3.723) – 0.173 (0.038), 20.128 (3.987) – 0.194 (0.038), and 22.972 (4.209) – 0.213 cm-1 (0.039 cm2g-1) respectively. At the peak energy, half value layer was 3.879, 3.782, 3.343, and 3.013 cm corresponding to PbF2 molar content increase from 0 – 25% in the PCBBC glasses. Generally, effective atomic number (electron density) Z_eff(N_eff) vary with energy within the range of 18.49 -71.75 (2.93 – 11.37), 19.35 – 72.68 (2.92 – 10.98), 21.04 – 74.18 (2.91 – 10.25), and 22.70 – 75.34 (2.89 9.600 N_A electrons/g). values of TSP and R follows the order: PCBBC1 > PCBBC2 > PCBBC3 > PCBBC4. "Σ" _"R" changed from 0.09989 – 0.10358 cm-1 with PCBBC4 having the maximum value while σT grows from 95.14954 – 113.45969 cm-1 for PCBBC1 – PCBBC4 respectively. Compared to conventional glass shields PCBBC4 glass possess superior shielding ability and it is a potential material for radiation shielding applications in emerging radiation-based technology.

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Potential Health Hazards from Lead Shielding

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Is Lead Dust Within Nuclear Medicine Departments a Hazard to Pediatric Patients?

Is Lead Dust Within Nuclear Medicine Departments a Hazard to Pediatric Patients?

High filler content acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene composites containing tungsten and bismuth oxides for effective lead‐free x‐ray radiation shielding

A broad analysis of directly and indirectly ionizing radiation interaction parameters of PbF₂-CaF₂-Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-Cr₂O₃ glass system

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Potential Health Hazards from Lead Shielding

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Is Lead Dust Within Nuclear Medicine Departments a Hazard to Pediatric Patients?

Is Lead Dust Within Nuclear Medicine Departments a Hazard to Pediatric Patients?

High filler content acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene composites containing tungsten and bismuth oxides for effective lead‐free x‐ray radiation shielding

A broad analysis of directly and indirectly ionizing radiation interaction parameters of PbF2-CaF2-Bi2O3-B2O3-Cr2O3 glass system

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A broad analysis of directly and indirectly ionizing radiation interaction parameters of PbF₂-CaF₂-Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-Cr₂O₃ glass system