Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Occupational Exposure: With Special Reference to Skin Doses in Hands and Fingers

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine

Abstract

Nuclear medicine involves the handling of unsealed radiation sources. Occupational monitoring in nuclear medicine thus includes assessment of both external irradiation of the body and internal exposure due to inhalation or ingestion of radioactive substances. However, when appropriate radiation protection measures are applied, the annual effective dose of nuclear medicine staff is low (around 2–3 mSv). However, hand doses can be very high and even exceed the regulatory limit for skin equivalent dose, without workers being aware of it.

This chapter provides an overview of basic concepts, regulation, and problems associated with occupational monitoring in nuclear medicine. It presents the main results of the FP7 European Project, ORAMED, within the field of extremity dosimetry of nuclear medicine staff and proposes recommendations in order to improve radiation protection in occupational exposure in nuclear medicine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Vanhavere F, Carinou E, Donadille L, Ginjaume M, Jankowski J, Rimpler A, Sans Merce M (2008) An overview on extremity dosimetry in medical applications. Radiat Prot Dosim 129(1–3):350–355

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Donadille L, Carinou E, Ginjaume M, Jankowski J, Rimpler A, Sans-Merce M, Vanhavere F (2008) An overview of the use of extremity dosemeters in some European countries for medical applications. Radiat Prot Dosim 131(1):62–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. International Commission on Radiological Protection (1991) Recommendations of the international commission on radiological protection. ICRP publication 60. Ann ICRP 21(1–3)

    Google Scholar 

  4. International Commission on Radiological Protection (2007) The 2007 recommendations of the international commission on radiological protection. ICRP publication 103. Ann ICRP 37(2–4)

    Google Scholar 

  5. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (1992) Measurements of dose equivalents from external photon and electron radiations, ICRU report 47. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, Bethesda, Maryland

    Google Scholar 

  6. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (1993) “Quantities and units in radiation protection dosimetry”, ICRU report 51. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, Bethesda, Maryland

    Google Scholar 

  7. European Commission (1996) Council directive 96/29/EURATOM of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiations. Off J Eur Commun 39L:159

    Google Scholar 

  8. European Commission (2011) Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. Draft presented under Article 31 Euratom Treaty for the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee. http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radiation_protection/doc/com_2011_0593.pdf

  9. Baechler S, Stritt N, Bochud FO (2011) Individual monitoring of internal exposure for nuclear medicine workers in Switzerland. Radiat Prot Dosim 144(1–4):464–467

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (1989) Tissue substitutes in radiation dosimetry and measurement. ICRU report 44. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, Bethesda, Maryland

    Google Scholar 

  11. Frasch G, Petrova K (2007) Dose trends in occupational radiation exposure in Europe results from the ESOREX project. Radiat Prot Dosim 125(1–4):121–126

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA training material on radiation protection in PET/CT. Lecture 8 on staff and public doses. http://rpop.iaea.org

  13. Whitby M, Martin C (2003) Investigation using an advanced extremity gamma instrumentation system of options for shielding the hand during the preparation and injection of radiopharmaceuticals. J Radiol Prot 23:79–96

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Sans-Merce M, Ruiz N, Barth I, Carnicer A, Donadille L, Ferrari P, Fulop M, Ginjaume M, Gualdrini G, Krim S, Mariotti F, Ortega X, Rimpler A, Vanhavere F, Baechler S (2011) Recommendations to reduce hand exposure for standard nuclear medicine procedures. Radiat Meas 46(11):1330–1333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ferrari P, Sans-Merce M, Carnicer A, Donadille L, Fulop M, Ginjaume M, Gualdrini G, Mariotti F, Ruiz N (2011) Main results of the Monte Carlo studies carried out for nuclear medicine practices within the ORAMED project. Radiat Meas 46(11):1287–1290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Carnicer A, Ginjaume M, Duch MA, Vanhavere F, Sans-Merce M, Baechler S, Barth I, Donadille L, Ferrari P, Fulop M, Gualdrini G, Krim S, Mariotti F, Ortega X, Rimpler A, Ruiz N, Olko P (2011) The use of different types of thermoluminescent dosemeters to measure extremity doses in nuclear medicine. Radiat Meas 46(12):1835–1838

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Vanhavere F, Berus D, Buls N, Covens P (2006) The use of extremity dosemeters in a hospital environment. Radiat Prot Dosim 118(2):190–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Covens P, Berus D, Vanhavere F, Caveliers V (2010) The introduction of automated dispensing and injection during PET procedures: a step in the optimization of extremity doses and whole-body doses of nuclear medicine staff. Radiat Prot Dosim 140(3):250–258

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Martin C, Whitby M (2003) Application of ALARP to extremity doses for hospital workers. J Radiol Prot 23:405–421

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Mebhah D, Djeffal S, Badreddine A, Medjahed M (1993) Extremity dosimetry in nuclear medicine services using thermoluminescent detectors. Radiat Prot Dosim 47(1/4):439–443

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Jankowski J, Olszewski J, Kluska K (2003) Distribution of equivalent doses to skin of the hands of nuclear medicine personnel. Radiat Prot Dosim 106(2):177–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. International Commission on Radiological Protection (2008) Radiation dose to patients from radiopharmaceuticals—addendum 3 to ICRP publication 53. ICRP publication 106. Ann ICRP 38 (1–2) (Annex E: Radiation exposure of hands in radiopharmacies: monitoring of doses and optimisation of protection. International Commission on Radiological Protection)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Carnicer A, Sans-Merce M, Baechler S, Barth I, Donadille L, Ferrari P, Fulop M, Ginjaume M, Gualdrini G, Krim S, Mariotti M, Ortega X, Rimpler A, Ruiz N, Vanhavere F (2011) Hand exposure in diagnostic nuclear medicine with 18F and 99mTc-labelled radiopharmaceuticals—results of the ORAMED project. Radiat Meas 46(11):1277–1282

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Rimpler A, Barth I, Ferrari P, Baechler S, Carnicer A, Donadille L, Fulop M, Ginjaume M, Mariotti M, Sans-Merce M, Gualdrini G, Krim S, Ortega X, Ruiz N, Vanhavere F (2011) Extremity exposure in nuclear medicine therapy with 90Y-labelled substances -results of the ORAMED project. Radiat Meas 46(11):1283–1286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rimpler A, Barth I, Baum R, Senftleben S, Geworski L (2008) Beta radiation exposure of staff during and after therapies with 90Y-labelled substances. Radiat Prot Dosim 131(1):73–79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Montgomery A, Anstee D, Martin C, Hilditch T (1999) Reductions in finger doses for radiopharmaceutical dispensing afforded by a syringe shield in an automatic dose dispenser. Nucl Med Commun 20:189–194

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tsopelas C, Collins P, Blefari C (2003) A simple and effective technique to reduce staff exposure during the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals. J Nucl Med Technol 31:37–40

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Whitby M, Martin C (2005) A multi-centre study of dispensing methods and hand doses in UK hospital radiopharmacies. Nucl Med Commun 26:49–60

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Jansson B, Olsson S, Olsson B, Jönsson L (2011) Reduction of the absorbed dose to technologists fingers from PET-radionuclides using an automatic injection robot. EANM Annual Congress of the European association of nuclear medicine

    Google Scholar 

  30. Allen S, Mackenzie A, Stark G, Inwards G, Lazarus C, Bachelor S (1997) Comparison of radiation safety aspects between robotic and manual systems for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals. Nucl Med Commun Abstract 18: 295

    Google Scholar 

  31. Hilditch T, Elliot A, Anstee D (1990) Fifteen years of radiological protection experience in a regional radiopharmacy. Health Phys 59(1):109–116

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Carinou E, Donadille L, Ginjaume M, Jankowski J, Rimpler A, Sans-Merce M, Vanhavere F, Denoziere M, Daures J, Bordy J, Itie C, Covens P (2008) Intercomparison on measurements of the quantity personal dose equivalent, H p(0.07), by extremity ring dosimeters in medical fields. Radiat Meas 43:565–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ginjaume M, Perez S, Duch M, Ortega X (2008) Comparison of TLD-100 and MCP-Ns for use as an extremity dosemeter for PET nuclear medicine staff. Radiat Meas 43(2–6):607–610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Brasik N, Stadtmann H, Kindl P (2007) The right choice: extremity dosemeter for different radiation fields. Radiat Prot Dosim 125(1–4):331–334

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Wrzesien M, Olszewski J, Jankowski J (2008) Hand exposure to ionising radiation of Nuclear medicine workers. Radiat Prot Dosim 130(3):325–330

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Covens P, Berus D, Buls N, Clerinx P, Vanhavere F (2007) Personal dose monitoring in hospitals: global assessment, critical applications and future needs. Radiat Prot Dosim 124(3):250–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Tandon P, Venkatesh M, Bhatt B (2007) Extremity dosimetry for radiation workers handling radionuclides in nuclear medicine departments in India. Health Phys 92(2):112–118

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Leide-Svegborn S (2010) Radiation exposure of patients and personnel from a PET/CT procedure with (18)F-FDG. Radiat Prot Dosim 139(1–3):208–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Geworski L, Zöphel K, Rimpler A, Barth I, Lassmann M, Sandrock D, Zander A, Halm T, Hänscheid H, Hofmann M, Reiners C, Munz D (2006) Radiation exposure in 90Y-Zevalin therapy: results of a prospective multicentre trial. Nuklearmedizin 45(2):82–86

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Cremonesi M, Ferrari M, Paganelli G, Rossi A, Chinol M, Bartolomei M, Prisco G, Tosi G (2006) Radiation protection in radionuclide therapies with 90Y-conjugates: risks and safety. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imag 33:1321–1327

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC), Diagonal 647, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Adela Carnicer & Mercè Ginjaume

  2. Institut de Radiophysique, University Hospital Center (CHUV), University of Lausanne, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, 1007, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Marta Sans-Merce

  3. Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), 31 Av. de la Division Leclerc, 92260, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France

    Laurent Donadille

  4. Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS), Koepenicker Allee 102-130, 10318, Berlin, Germany

    Ilona Barth

  5. Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN), Boeretang 200, 02400, Mol, Belgium

    Filip Vanhavere

Authors
  1. Adela Carnicer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mercè Ginjaume
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marta Sans-Merce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Laurent Donadille
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ilona Barth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Filip Vanhavere
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mercè Ginjaume .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept. of Medical Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, 20502, Sweden

    Sören Mattsson

  2. Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany

    Christoph Hoeschen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Carnicer, A., Ginjaume, M., Sans-Merce, M., Donadille, L., Barth, I., Vanhavere, F. (2013). Occupational Exposure: With Special Reference to Skin Doses in Hands and Fingers. In: Mattsson, S., Hoeschen, C. (eds) Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31167-3_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31167-3_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-31166-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-31167-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation