• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.385-394
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• 2024

This study is suggest the importance of a safety management system against radiation exposure by measuring the surface pollution level of toilets in the radiation management area of hospitals using open seafarers and evaluating the spread. The experiment measured 10 times in front of the toilet and the entrance before and after the start of work in 3 toilets in the radiation management area of a hospital in the metropolitan area. The measuring instruments and samples were measured using an indirect measuring smear paper and a surface contamination radiation meter. As a result of the measurement the front of the left toilet in the iodine treatment room bathroom before decontamination exceeded the legally permitted surface contamination dose. All other areas were measured below the legally permitted surface contamination dose. However even if radioactive contamination is below the allowable dose pollutants and contamination conditions must be properly identified and managed with constant attention and attention. Therefore the use of toilets in the radiation control zone must be regulated so that only patients can use them and efforts must be made to minimize the spread of surface contamination outside the toilet by allowing the use of the exclusive use of toilets.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.237-246
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• 2016

This study is therefore aimed at measuring the surface dose rate and the spatial dose rate in and outside the radionuclide facility in order to ensure safety of the patients, radiation workers and family care-givers in their use of such equipment and to provide a basic framework for further research on radiation protection. The study was conducted at 4 restrooms in and outside the radionuclide facility of a general hospital in Incheon between May 1 and July 31, 2014. During the study period, the spatial contamination dose rate and the surface contamination dose rate before and after radiation use were measured at the 4 places-thyroid therapy room, PET center, gamma camera room, and outpatient department. According to the restroom use survey by hospitals, restrooms in the radionuclide facility were used not only by patients but also by family care-givers and some of radiation workers. The highest cumulative spatial radiation dose rate was 8.86 mSv/hr at camera room restroom, followed by 7.31 mSv/hr at radioactive iodine therapy room restroom, 2.29 mSv/hr at PET center restroom, and 0.26 mSv/hr at outpatient department restroom, respectively. The surface radiation dose rate measured before and after radiation use was the highest at toilets, which are in direct contact with patient's excretion, followed by the center and the entrance of restrooms. Unsealed radioactive sources used in nuclear medicine are relatively safe due to short half lives and low energy. A patient who received those radioactive sources, however, may become a mobile radioactive source and contaminate areas the patient contacts-camera room, sedation room, and restroom-through secretion and excretion. Therefore, patients administered radionuclides should be advised to drink sufficient amounts of water to efficiently minimize radiation exposure to others by reducing the biological half-life, and members of the public-family care-givers, pregnant women, and children-be as far away from the patients until the dose remains below the permitted dose limit.