Health Physics - Radiation-Generating Devices Characteristics, and Hazards

Health Physics books are traditionally retrospective and address existing regulations, facilities, and practices. This book reviews radiation-generating technologies and associated facilities that are emerging or will emerge during this century. It is written at the level of rigor appropriate for a practicing health physicist and establishes the essential health physics elements and hazards for each technology. As an example, Chapter 9 addresses the nuclear fuel cycle. Although the nuclear fuel cycle has been a popular topic in engineering texts, no text addresses the subject from the perspective of a health physicist that considers the unique radiation protection issues of emerging technologies. For example, the proposed book addresses the unique health physics consequences of the GE/Hitachi Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation (SILEX) uranium enrichment process currently under NRC licensing review. The use of lasers to enrich uranium on an industrial scale presents unique health physics and proliferation issues. Important health physics aspects include the production of high enrichment uranium, criticality safety, unique maintenance requirements, high-energy laser radiation, diversion of enrichment materials, environmental release of enriched uranium, health physics aspects of new uranium chemical compounds, effective dose assessment, and facility licensing basis assumptions. The effective dose impacts of normal and emergency operations are also presented in a thorough manner. These issues are not currently identified in any text in a manner that meets the needs of health physicists. Other health physics specific commentary is presented in each chapter and appendix. The book bridges the gap between existing health physics textbooks and reference material needed by a practicing health physicist as the 21st Century progresses. This material necessarily encompasses emerging radiation-generating technologies, advances in existing technology, and applications of existing technology to new areas. As the 21st Century unfolds, this gap will rapidly broaden, and the importance of this text will increase. The topics selected for inclusion in this text are based on the author's judgment of areas that merit presentation and development. Some areas involve incremental steps in existing health physics knowledge including aspects of heavy ion therapy and criteria for recovery from a dirty bomb detonation. Topics, such as internal radiation generating devices and anti-matter therapy will be relatively new to some health physicists. Other topics such as the assumed yield of improvised nuclear devices challenge conventional wisdom. The effects of various detonation yields are addressed in the book. In addition, issues associated with the design basis of nuclear power facilities and the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident are addressed. The book carefully explores these and other emerging health physics issues that have arisen and will likely arise in the 21st Century. As a means to facilitate the transition to new issues and concepts, over 200 problems with detailed solutions are provided. Many of these problems are novel and present first-of-a-kind health physics specific commentary that addresses cutting-edge topics including the radiological impact of an improvised nuclear device, fission releases from a severe power reactor accident, radiological hazards from SILEX operations, adequacy of emergency preparedness assumptions, and evacuation and reentry criteria. These problems are an integral part of the text, and they serve to integrate and amplify the chapter and appendix information. Students are encouraged to carefully work each problem to maximize the benefit of this text. This text is primarily intended for upper level undergraduate and graduate health physics courses. It is also written for advanced undergraduate and graduate science and engineering courses. It will also be a useful reference f