Design shielding assessment for a nuclear medicine service

• Main Authors: O Brígido Flores, J Hernández García, O Fabelo Bonet, A Montalván Estrada, Y Aparicio, R Mantecón
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centro de Gestión de la Información y Desarrollo de la Energía (CUBAENERGIA) 2019-08-01
• Series: Nucleus
• Subjects: blindaje; medicina nuclear; yodo 131; radiofármacos; dosis de radiación; blanco de tecnecio 99; planificación
• Online Access: http://nucleus.cubaenergia.cu/index.php/nucleus/article/view/672

It is recognized worldwide that the security of radioactive substances is very important and that the design of facilities where these sources are used and stored must cater for the implementation of good security measures, including the shielding of some treatment and diagnostic rooms. The radiation protection assessment of a nuclear medicine facility consists of the evaluation of the annual effective dose both to workers occupationally exposed and to members of the public. This assessment take into account the radionuclides involved, the facility features, the working procedures, the expected number of patients per year, the administered activity, the distribution of rooms, the thickness and physical materials of walls, floors and ceilings and so on. The assessment results were compared to the design requirements established by the Cuban regulatory body in order to determine whether or not, the nuclear medicine facility complies with those requirements, both for workers and for members of the public. The work presented is useful for facility designer that uses unsealed radionuclides and for the regulatory body.