Module 1: Knowledge and Skills

Question 1

What is acute radiation exposure?

Answer 1

Large amount of exposure of short time duration

Question 2

What is chronic radiation exposure? What are some potential effects?

Answer 2

These are doses acquired over a long period of time. can have cancer, genetic, in-utero effects

Question 3

What is maximum survivable dose? The amount?

Answer 3

This is the max dosage amount of rem a human can withstand. 1000 rem

Question 4

What is ALARA?

Answer 4

As Low As Reasonably Achievable. It specifies that the magnitude and likelihood of worker and public radiation dose be kept reasonably low.

Question 5

What is the CNSC yearly dose limit for the whole body?

Answer 5

5 rem/year or 5000 mrem/yr is the dose limit

Question 6

What is the units for a dose? What about dose rate?

Answer 6

rem and rem/hr

Question 7

What is the units for surface contamination?

Answer 7

cpm - counts per minute

Question 8

What is the units for airborne contamination?

Answer 8

MPCa - max permissible concentration in air

Question 9

What is Alpha radiation? What organs does it effect?

Answer 9

Weak particle, and is an internal hazard only. It doesn’t need intensive shielding - Paper.

Critical organ: Lungs

Question 10

What is Beta radiation? What organs does it effect?

Answer 10

Pretty weak particle, and is an external hazard (except tritium). Weak shielding - Plastic.

Critical organ: Skin, eyes, extremities

Question 11

What is Gamma radiation? What organs does it effect?

Answer 11

External hazard only, and has no mass or electrical charge. Strong shielding - Lead.

Critical Organ: Whole Body

Question 12

What is Neutron radiation? What organs does it effect?

Answer 12

External Hazard only. Very strong shielding - Concrete

Question 13

What are the three different ways radioactive materials are spread?

Answer 13

As airborne, liquid, or condensation

Question 14

What is fixed contamination?

Answer 14

Difficult to remove

Question 15

What is loose contamination?

Answer 15

Easily spread, usually liquid or gas

Question 16

Effects from 10k mrem exposure

Answer 16

no detectable effect

Question 17

Effects from 25k mrem

Answer 17

only found by exposure analysis

Question 18

Effects from 50k mrem

Answer 18

causes changes to blood cells

Question 19

Effects from 100k mrem

Answer 19

radiation sickness, little chance of death w/o treatment

Question 20

Effects from 250k mrem

Answer 20

need medical treatment, risk of death without treatment

Question 21

Effects from 450k mrem

Answer 21

half of ppl exposed will die in 3o days. death in weeks even with treatment

Question 22

Effects from 1M mrem (1000 rem)\

Answer 22

death in 30 days without treatment

Question 23

What are four ways radioactive material can get inside the body?

Answer 23

Inhalation, Ingestion, Skin absorption, Open Wounds

Question 24

What are two ways tritium can enter the body?

Answer 24

Inhalation, Skin absorption - low beta radiation and exists as a liquid

Question 25

5 reasons why radioactive material inside the body is more serious than outside the body?

Answer 25

1. 24hr/day exposure 2. radiation concentrates in body organs 3. radiation difficult to detect b/c of body shielding 4. retained for long periods of time 5. Alpha and Beta more damaging in soft internal tissue