Latest Radiation protection Stories

BETHESDA, Md., March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 2006, Americans were exposed to more than seven times as much ionizing radiation from medical procedures as was the case in the early 1980s, according to a new report on population exposure released March 3rd by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) at its annual meeting in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2006, medical exposure constituted nearly half of the total radiation exposure of the U.S. population from all...

Minimal radiation was detected in equipment on the wreck of a Russian cruiser that has foundered on the Norwegian coast for 14 years, government officials say. The Murmansk ended up on the rocks outside Sorvaer in 1994 when it was being towed to India for salvage, Aftenposten reported Sunday. Government inspectors had determined the wreck was safe and radiation-free but then equipment taken from the ship for possible recycling set off radiation detectors. We have a zero tolerance for...

By McKenzie, Lawrence J The nuclear energy industry faces a critical shortage of workers over the next five years. According to Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) surveys conducted in 2004 and 20051, up to 23,000 workers may be eligible to retire, representing 40 percent of all jobs in the sector. Additionally, nearly half of industry employees are more than 47 years old and as of 2007, less than 4 percent of the nuclear technician workforce is under the age of 33. To meet the current and future...

By Jim Wyss, The Miami Herald Jul. 14--Ronald DeMeo places a radioactive wafer about the size of a silver dollar on his desk and waves a handheld Geiger counter over it. The machine chatters wildly, the numbers on the readout spin upward and visitors instinctively lean back. But when the Coral Gables doctor covers the disc, which is designed for materials testing and quite safe, with a thin piece of fabric, the numbers dive and the noise from the Geiger dips to a low growl. It's an...

For decades, we have been told that exposure to radiation is dangerous. In high doses it is certainly lethal and chronic exposure is linked to the development of cancer. But, what if a short-term controlled exposure to a low dose of radiation were good for our health. Writing in today's issue of the Inderscience publication the International Journal of Low Radiation, Don Luckey, makes the startling claim that low dose radiation could be just what the doctor ordered!Luckey, an emeritus...

A new report commissioned by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate said that cosmic radiation poses cancer and other health risks for years after astronauts return to Earth, and that a lack of understanding of the biological responses to space radiation is the biggest limiting factor to future missions.The report, authored by the National Research Council, one of the independent National Academies of Science that advises the federal government, said that cosmic rays are so dangerous...

As NASA lays plans for travel to the moon and Mars, the agency is exploring propulsion systems, crew modules, and habitat structures. It has looked at the psychology of being cooped up with fellow astronauts for a years-long Mars mission, and studied how to maintain bone structure and muscle strength in microgravity. But a new study should force renewed attention on one of the most intractable dangers of space travel: radiation. The review, published Sept. 29 in Mars, the International...

Researchers are making a list: Which parts of an astronaut are most sensitive to solar flares?NASA -- Picture this: An astronaut, on the Moon, hunched down over a rock, hammer in hand, prospecting. Suddenly, over his shoulder, there's a flash of light on the sun.The radio crackles: "Explorer 1, come in. This is mission control."Explorer 1: "What's up?"Mission Control: "There's been a solar flare, a big one. You need to take cover. The radiation storm could begin in as...

A "designer material" derived from plastic could help protect astronauts on their way to MarsNASA -- After reading this article, you might never look at trash bags the same way again.We all use plastic trash bags; they're so common that we hardly give them a second thought. So who would have guessed that a lowly trash bag might hold the key to sending humans to Mars?Most household trash bags are made of a polymer called polyethylene. Variants of that molecule turn out to be...

The effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation have long been a subject for debate among scientists. The technological developments of the last twenty years such as cell and cordless phones, wireless communications, monitors and even high voltage lines have all been studied as potential risk factors for cancer and other diseases. Less known to the public, but still a matter of some extensive research, is the study of the effect of microwave radiation on the visual system and especially...