Evaluating shielding effectiveness for reducing space radiation cancer risks

We discuss calculations of probability distribution functions (PDF) representing uncertainties in projecting fatal cancer risk from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE). The PDFs are used in significance tests for evaluating the effectiveness of potential radiation shielding approaches. Uncertainties in risk coefficients determined from epidemiology data, dose and dose–rate reduction factors, quality factors, and physics models of radiation environments are considered in models of cancer risk PDFs. Competing mortality risks and functional correlations in radiation quality factor uncertainties are included in the calculations. We show that the cancer risk uncertainty, defined as the ratio of the upper value of 95% confidence interval (CI) to the point estimate is about 4-fold for lunar and Mars mission risk projections. For short-stay lunar missions (), SPEs present the most significant risk, however one that is mitigated effectively by shielding, especially for carbon composites structures with high hydrogen content. In contrast, for long duration lunar () or Mars missions, GCR risks may exceed radiation risk limits that are based on acceptable levels of risk. For example, the upper 95% CI exceeding 10% fatal risk for males and females on a Mars mission. For reducing GCR cancer risks, shielding materials are marginally effective because of the penetrating nature of GCR and secondary radiation produced in tissue by relativistic particles. At the present time, polyethylene or carbon composite shielding cannot be shown to significantly reduce risk compared to aluminum shielding based on a significance test that accounts for radiobiology uncertainties in GCR risk projection.     

Analysis of low-dose radiation shield effectiveness of multi-gate polymeric sheets

Computed tomography (CT) uses a high dose of radiation to create images of the body. As patients are exposed to radiation during a CT scan, the use of shielding materials becomes essential in CT scanning. This study was focused on the radiation shielding materials used for patients during a CT scan. In this study, sheets were manufactured to shield the eyes and the thyroid, the most sensitive parts of the body, against radiation exposure during a CT scan. These sheets are manufactured using silicone polymers, barium sulfate (BaSO₄) and tungsten, with the aim of making these sheets equally or more effective in radiation shielding and more cost-effective than lead sheets. The use of barium sulfate drew more attention than tungsten due to its higher cost-effectiveness. The barium sulfate sheets were coated to form a multigate structure by applying the maximum charge rate during the agitator and subsequent mixing processes and creating multilayered structures on the surface. To measure radiation shielding effectiveness, the radiation dose was measured around both eyes and the thyroid gland using sheets in three different thicknesses (1, 2 and 3 mm). Among the 1 and 2 mm sheets, the Pb sheets exhibited greater effectiveness in radiation shielding around both eyes, but the W sheets were more effective in radiation shielding around the thyroid gland. In the 3 mm sheets, the Pb sheet also attenuated a higher amount of radiation around both eyes while the W sheet was more effective around the thyroid gland. In conclusion, the sheets made from barium sulfate and tungsten proved highly effective in shielding against low-dose radiation in CT scans without causing ill-health effects, unlike lead.     

Development of a new nanocrystalline alloy for X-ray shielding

The purpose of this study was to develop a new nanocrystalline alloy material, which can replace lead for the purposes of radiation shielding as it is not hazardous to the human body and it is light in weight, to use the developed alloy in a fiber, and to evaluate its performance. This study used tungsten carbide and cobalt as the base metals and developed a new nanocrystalline alloy material. Then, radiation-shielding fibers 0.2 and 0.4?mm thick were created from the prepared tungsten carbide and cobalt powder. Equivalent dose was measured and shielding rate was obtained by the lead-equivalent test method for X-ray protection of goods suggested in the Korean Standard. According to our results, the shielding rate of the 0.2-mm-thick WC–Co alloy was 96.52% at a tube voltage of 50?kVp, 94.86% at a tube voltage of 80?kVp, and 94.10% at a tube voltage of 100?kVp. The shielding rate of the 0.4-mm-thick WC–Co alloy was 97.47% at a tube voltage of 50?kVp, 96.57% at a tube voltage of 80?kVp, and 95.63% at a tube voltage of 100?kVp. It is believed that the nanocrystalline WC–Co alloy developed for radiation shielding in this study will contribute to a decrease in primary X-ray exposure as well as exposure to low-dose secondary X-rays, such as scattered rays. Furthermore, the use of a nanocrystalline WC–Co alloy oxide rather than lead will allow for the development of shielding wear that is lighter and contribute to the development of various radiation-shielding products made of environmentally friendly materials.     

面向空间高能重离子与辐射屏蔽材料的反应截面地基研究

空间辐射尤其是高能重离子辐射可造成生物机体的严重损伤, 所以对高能重离子进行恰当的辐射屏蔽, 成为实现载人航天的关键性因素之一。 研究表明, 由于高能重离子与不同屏蔽材料发生相互作用, 所产生的核碎片等次级粒子, 直接影响空间辐射屏蔽材料的屏蔽性能研究和屏蔽结构设计。 介绍了太空辐射的分类与组成, 综述了国际地基辐射屏蔽材料与实验现状。 根据文献中的地基实验数据, 重点描述了被动式屏蔽方法: 以相近能量多种重离子, 不同能量的56Fe和28Si重离子分别与C, H, Al和Cu材料相互作用的总反应截面和碎片产生截面, 并结合510 MeV/u 56Fe与不同厚度CH2相互作用产生的碎片通量分布、 碎片平均LET分布和不同厚度CH2的单位入射离子剂量减少量等方面, 系统讨论分析了C, H, Al, Cu和CH2等常用空间辐射屏蔽材料的屏蔽性能。 Cosmic radiation, particularly the high energy heavy ion radiation, may cause serious injury on living organism. Therefore, it is one of critical restriction factor in Manned Spaceflight. Studies show that high energy heavy ions interacting with the shielding materials can produce numerous kinds of fragments and secondaries. These particles have a direct impact on evaluation of shielding properties of different shielding materials, the optimal shielding structure design and low dose evaluation after shielding materials. From perspectives of divisions of cosmic rays and passive shielding methods, this paper introduces the ground based research of shielding materials. The passive shielding method was discussed, based on the experimental data of the total cross sections and fragment（production） cross sections of the aspects of different heavy ions with approximately same energy and 56Fe, 28Si heavy ions with different energies on H, C, CH2, Al and Cu radiation shielding materials. In addition, the fragment fluency distribution, the average LET distribution and the dose reduction per particle of 510 MeV/u 56Fe in different depth of CH2 material were also discussed.     

Shielding from cosmic radiation for interplanetary missions: Active and passive methods

Shielding is arguably the main countermeasure for the exposure to cosmic radiation during interplanetary exploratory missions. However, shielding of cosmic rays, both of galactic or solar origin, is problematic, because of the high energy of the charged particles involved and the nuclear fragmentation occurring in shielding materials. Although computer codes can predict the shield performance in space, there is a lack of biological and physical measurements to benchmark the codes. An attractive alternative to passive, bulk material shielding is the use of electromagnetic fields to deflect the charged particles from the spacecraft target. Active shielding concepts based on electrostatic fields, plasma, or magnetic fields have been proposed in the past years, and should be revised based on recent technological improvements. To address these issues, the European Space Agency (ESA) established a Topical Team (TT) in 2002 including European experts in the field of space radiation shielding and superconducting magnets. The TT identified a number of open research questions to be addressed, including development and testing of novel shielding materials, studies on the angular distributions of energetic solar particles, and cooling systems for magnetic lenses in space. A detailed report to the ESA will be published within a few months. A summary of the TT conclusions and recommendations will be discussed in this paper, with emphasis on active shielding using superconducting magnets.     

电离辐射诱导的旁观者效应研究

列举了一些具有代表性的研究结果， 概括介绍了一些产生旁观者效应的可能机制以及辐照引起的活性氧基团或分子、 细胞通讯和细胞因子在旁观者效应中的重要作用. 此外， 还讨论了旁观者效应的表达程度与辐照剂量和射线品质的关系. 旁观者效应的研究结果表明: 辐射产生的潜在危害可能要比以前估计的大， 这给如何评估辐射对人类造成的危害带来了新的冲击. Recent studies have indicated that biological effects, such as chromosomal aberration, gene mutation and cell death and so on, can be induced in cells that are not traversed by radiation directly. This phenomenon has been termed as bystander effects. In this paper, a few representative studies were reported and the possible mechanisms underlying the bystander effects were summarized. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by ionizing radiation, cellular communication and some factors play important roles. Besides, the expression extent of bystander effects depended on radiation dose and quality were discussed. Bystander effects suggest that potential health risks associated with radiation exposure may be greater than those of original thought and this makes ultimate impact on human radiation risk assessment.     

中子、γ射线在稀土-高分子材料中的输运(英文)

为研究新型复合屏蔽材料的最佳厚度与各种成分最佳配比, 用MCNP计算了中子、 γ射线在稀土 高分子与重金属复合材料中的通量。 对中子、 γ射线在屏蔽体中变化规律进行了深入探索, 同传统复合屏蔽材料的屏蔽性能进行了对比。 结果表明, 中子和γ射线通过屏蔽体时, 其强度遵循指数衰减规律。 新型屏蔽材料对中子的屏蔽效果均优于铅硼聚乙烯, 对γ射线的屏蔽效果均劣于W Ni合金, 且并非稀土含量越高, 材料对中子辐射屏蔽能力越强。 A series of shielding analyses have been performed to estimate the material composition and optimum thickness required for a new radiation shield with various rare earth doped polymer and heavy metal mixtures. The neutron and γ photon fluxes have been calculated by Monte Carlo N Particle(MCNP) transport code. The results indicate that the relative fluxes of γ photon and neutron in both traditional and new composite materials follow an exponential decay rule with the distance of penetration. It can be seen that the composite material consisting of rare earth doped polymer and heavy metal has stronger neutron shielding performance than lead boron polyethylene, but weaker γ shielding effectiveness than W Ni alloy. It is also found that materials with more components of rare earth elements don’t always provide better neutron shielding performance.     

电缆电磁脉冲屏蔽效能的辐射法测量

分析了电缆电磁脉冲屏蔽效能传统测量方法的局限,提出了辐射法测量电缆电磁脉冲屏蔽效能的试验方法。该方法根据互易性原理,将屏蔽效能定义中的电缆耦合场测量转变成电缆辐射场测量。通过电缆屏蔽前后辐射场的测量,得到电缆的电磁脉冲屏蔽效能。以SYV50-5同轴电缆为对象,采用辐射法研究了其对电磁脉冲的屏蔽效能,试验取得了较理想的效果。由于互易性原理对介质空间除了线性没有特别的要求,对于传统方法很难处理的多芯电缆、双屏蔽电缆、特种电缆等的屏蔽效能测量,辐射法测量同样有效。通过改变传感器的类型测量辐射磁场,还可以得到电缆对磁场的屏蔽效能。     

Radiation damage to DNA: the importance of track structure

A wide variety of biological effects are induced by ionizing radiation, from cell death to mutations and carcinogenesis. The biological effectiveness is found to vary not only with the absorbed dose but also with the type of radiation and its energy, i.e., with the nature of radiation tracks. An overview is presented of some of the biological experiments using different qualities of radiation, which when compared with Monte Carlo track structure studies, have highlighted the importance of the localized spatial properties of stochastic energy deposition on the nanometer scale at or near DNA. The track structure leads to clustering of damage which may include DNA breaks, base damage etc., the complexity of the cluster and therefore its biological repairability varying with radiation type.

The ability of individual tracks to produce clustered damage, and the subsequent biological response are important in the assessment of the risk associated with low-level human exposure. Recent experiments have also shown that biological response to radiation is not always restricted to the ‘hit’ cell but can sometimes be induced in ‘un-hit’ cells near by.     

Analyzing physical characteristics and shielding efficiency for non-lead medical radiation shielding sheets improved using PMMA

ABSTRACT

Recently, the research for replacing heavy lead goods, such as medical radiation shielding sheets with environmentally friendly shielding materials has been widely carried out. The use of tungsten injected into the base material of polyethylene resin may be a good alternative for manufacturing lightweight shielding sheets. However, the increase of the mass ratio of tungsten in the shielding sheets is accompanied by the degradation of their physical properties such as tensile strength and flexibility. In this report, we have tried to fix this problem by adding Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) to the mixing process of materials. If the portion of the added PMMA is 20%, it leads to a 25% increase of the particle packing ratio while there is a simultaneous 28% enhancement of tensile strength compared to before adding it. In the final test for shielding efficiency, it also turned out that the increase of the particle packing ratio for tungsten exhibits the same shielding efficiency as that of 0.2?mmPb. This consequence may imply that mass production of sheets that can prevent scattering rays in the medical radiation frequency range is possible through the calender process using a 0.3?mm tungsten sheet.     

Flexible and ultrathin dopamine modified MXene and cellulose nanofiber composite films with alternating multilayer structure for superior electromagnetic interference shielding performance

With the development of modern electronics, especially the next generation of wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials requires flexibility, ultrathin, lightweight and robustness to protect electronic devices from radiation pollution. In this work, the flexible and ultrathin dopamine modified MXene@cellulose nanofiber (DM@CNF) composite films with alternate multilayer structure have been developed by a facile vacuum filtration induced self-assembly approach. The multilayered DM@CNF composite films exhibit improved mechanical properties compared with the homogeneous DM/CNF film. By adjusting the layer number, the multilayered DM3@CNF2 composite film exhibits a tensile strength of 48.14 MPa and a toughness of 5.28 MJ·m⁻³ with a thickness about 19 μm. Interestingly that, the DM@CNF film with annealing treatment achieves significant improvement in conductivity (up to 17264 S·m⁻¹) and EMI properties (SE of 41.90 dB and SSE/t of 10169 dB·cm²·g⁻¹), which still maintains relatively high mechanical properties. It is highlighted that the ultrathin multilayered DM@CNF film exhibits superior EMI shielding performance compared with most of the metal-based, carbon-based and MXene-based shielding materials reported in the literature. These results will offer an appealing strategy to develop the ultrathin and flexible MXene-based materials with excellent EMI shielding performance for the next generation intelligent protection devices.     

Monte Carlo calculations of the energy deposited in biological samples and shielding materials

The energy deposited by gamma radiation from the Cs-137 isotope into body tissues (bone and muscle), tissue-like medium (water), and radiation shielding materials (concrete, lead, and water), which is of interest for radiation dosimetry, was obtained using a simple Monte Carlo algorithm. The algorithm also provides a realistic picture of the distribution of backscattered photons from the target and the distribution of photons scattered forward after several scatterings in the scatterer, which is useful in studying radiation shielding. The presented method in this work constitutes an attempt to evaluate the amount of energy absorbed by body tissues and shielding materials.     

Semi empirical formula for exposure buildup factors

The nuclear data of photon buildup factor is an important concept that must be considered in nuclear safety aspects such as radiation shielding and dosimetry. The buildup factor is a coefficient that represents the contribution of collided photons with the target medium. Present work formulated a semi empirical formulae for exposure buildup factors (EBF) in the energy region 0.015–15?MeV, atomic number range 1?≤?Z?≤?92 and for mean free path up to 40?mfp. The EBFs produced by the present formula are compared with that of data available in the literature. It is found that present work agree with literature. This formula is first of its kind to calculate EBFs without using geometric progression fitting parameters. This formula may also use to calculate EBFs for compounds/mixtures/Biological samples. The present formula is useful in producing EBFs for elements and mixtures quickly. This semi empirical formula finds importance in the calculations of EBFs which intern helps in the radiation protection and dosimetry.     

A procedure for the distinction between static and dynamic radiation exposures of personal radiation badges using pulsed optically stimulated luminescence

A method is described for the distinction between the normal, “dynamic” radiation exposure of a personal radiation dosimetry badge during normal wear of the badge, and an abnormal, or “static” exposure of the badge in a fixed position relative to a radiation source. An example of a static exposure would be the intentional (unauthorized), or accidental, exposure of the badge to a radiation source when the badge is not being worn by a person. Other abnormal exposure conditions of interest include when the badge is accidentally partially shielded by (say) coins or other heavy material during incorrect wear of the badge (e.g. in a pocket) such that the usual reading of the badge may reveal a lower-than-expected absorbed dose reading. This paper describes the use of Pulsed Optically Stimulated Luminescence (POSL) as a dosimetric readout mode and the application of this technique to “imaging” of the dose distribution across the face of a large area Al₂O₃:C dosimeter. The technique relies upon the use of a radiation filter with a periodic array of holes, or other weakly absorbing regions, such that the Al₂O₃:C is exposed in a pattern which follows the pattern of the filtration. Subsequent illumination of the Al₂O₃:C using a defocused laser beam reveals a pattern of luminescence emission corresponding to the pattern of the absorbed dose. During static exposure, the absorbed radiation pattern is sharp and clear, whereas during dynamic exposure the absorbed radiation pattern is diffuse. Image processing of the collected POSL emission pattern using a Discrete Fourier Transform produces a spatial frequency spectrum of the collected image from which a factor is calculated which indicates the probability of static versus dynamic exposure. Furthermore, the POSL image obtained (vis-à-vis the absorbed radiation dose pattern) can also reveal accidental shielding. The image collection procedure, the image processing algorithms, and two different methods to determine the probability factor are described. Application of the technique to several exposure conditions is illustrated.     

Comparison of graphite,aluminum, and TransHab shielding material characteristics in a high-energy neutron field

Space radiation transport models clearly show that low atomic weight materials provide a better shielding protection for interplanetary human missions than high atomic weight materials. These model studies have concentrated on shielding properties against charged particles. A light-weight, inflatable habitat module called TransHab was built and shown to provide adequate protection against micrometeoroid impacts and good shielding properties against charged particle radiation in the International Space Station orbits. An experiment using a tissue equivalent proportional counter, to study the changes in dose and lineal energy spectra with graphite, aluminum, and a TransHab build-up as shielding, was carried out at the Los Alamos Nuclear Science Center neutron facility. It is a continuation of a previous study using regolith and doped polyethylene materials. This paper describes the results and their comparison with the previous study.     

A spacecraft shielding model for calculating exposures to radiation

A spacecraft shielding model for calculating exposure to radiation is proposed. This model is based on the concept of the randomly inhomogeneous character of the material thickness distribution both in separate equipment units and the spacecraft as a whole. This concept has made it possible to obtain the shielding function of an arbitrary point in a spacecraft necessary to calculate the radiation exposure using its mean density, geometry and the ratio of the shielding function dispersion to its mean. This is constant for the spacecraft. This conclusion was verified for several Soviet and U.S.A. spacecraft, including the Space Shuttle.     

SSRF前端区锯齿墙束流孔洞中子屏蔽的蒙特卡罗估算

主要关于上海同步辐射装置(SSRF)储存环电子引发产生的韧致辐射和中子辐射的研究. 中子和光子经多种组合材 料(厚度在5cm～115cm之间)屏蔽后的剂量特征由蒙特卡罗代码MCNP和EGSnrc估算得到; 蒙特卡罗计算表明, 单一的材料如铅, 铁和聚乙烯对高能中子是无效的生物屏蔽材料, 而组合材料如铅或者铁加聚乙烯和铅或者铁加混凝土被认为是屏蔽高能中子很好的组合材料. 铅铁等高Z材料加点包含有氢的低Z材料如聚乙烯是同时屏蔽高能中子和韧致辐射的一种比较好的组合材料选择.     

Evaluating the Control Banding Nanotool: a qualitative risk assessment method for controlling nanoparticle exposures

Control banding (CB) strategies offer simplified processes for controlling worker exposures in the absence of firm toxicological and exposure information. The nanotechnology industry is an excellent candidate for applying such strategies with overwhelming uncertainties of work-related health risks posed by nanomaterials. A recent survey shows that a majority of nanomaterial producers are not performing a basic risk assessment of their product in use. The CB Nanotool, used internationally, was developed to conduct qualitative risk assessments to control nanoparticle exposures. Nanotoxicology experts have requested standardization of toxicological parameters to ensure better utility and consistency of research. Such standardization would fit well in the CB Nanotool’s severity and probability risk matrix, therefore enhancing the protection of nanotechnology industry workers. This article further evaluates the CB Nanotool for structure, weighting of risk factors, and utility for exposure mitigation, and suggests improvements for the CB Nanotool and the research needed to bolster its effectiveness.     

脉冲电场屏蔽效能测试系统及测试方法

 自主研制了一套小型脉冲电场屏蔽效能测试系统,该系统由脉冲电场发射设备和脉冲电场测试设备构成。脉冲电场发射设备的天线口面前60 cm处可产生峰值达7.5 kV/m的脉冲电场,测试设备的动态测试范围达97 dB。系统采用光纤测量设备,在测量工作中能有效抑制强电磁场干扰。采用Matlab编写自动测量及数据处理程序,实现了数据采集与处理自动化。实验测量了金属桥架、控制柜、屏蔽帐篷、导电水泥混凝土房的脉冲电场屏蔽效能,其脉冲电场峰值衰减量分别为52,64,66,30 dB。实验表明可用脉冲电场的峰值衰减量来评估屏蔽体的脉冲电场屏蔽效能。     

光学窗口电磁屏蔽性能分析与验证

为分析不同基底材料光学窗口电磁屏蔽性能,以Kohin的等效薄膜模型为基础,考虑电磁波在材料2个界面中的多次反射和折射,得到电磁波界面反射系数,利用matlab编写程序计算相同网栅、不同厚度、不同材料的屏蔽效率曲线,分析了厚度和材料对光窗屏蔽效率的影响。为验证仿真数据的准确性,在ZnS基底上制作了周期为500 μm、线宽为15 μm,电阻≤20 Ω的测试样片,测试其在8 GHz～18 GHz频段的电磁屏蔽效能。通过对比可看出:测试与理论计算数据较符合,误差约为2 dB～4 dB,计算数据可以预估光学窗口电磁屏蔽性能,为后续的设计工作提供参考。