Safety of Ionizing Radiation in Selected Conventional X-ray Diagnostic Centres in Calabar and Uyo metropolises, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Humans are inevitably exposed to background radiation in work and public environments. The aim of this work is to assess the effectiveness of the secondary barriers in conventional x-ray diagnostic centers in Calabar and Uyo metropolises. This is by determining the weekly and annual effective dose in their respective uncontrolled areas and comparing them with the international recommendations. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three x-ray diagnostic centers in Calabar, represented as C1, C2, and C3 respectively, and in four xray diagnostic centers in Uyo, represented as U1, U2, U3, and U4 respectively. Background radiation was measured using Radex 1212 A-A battery-powered survey meter, at a distance of 2.5meters away from the xray units. Radiation measurement was taken at three different spots, and the recorded data were analyzed. Results: The mean calculated effective dose per week in mSv/week for each diagnostic center was given as 0.130 ± 0.0068mSv/week. Also, the mean calculated effective dose per year in mSv/year for each center was given as 0.66 ± 0.35mSv/year. These values are below the National Commission on Radiation Protection (NCRP) recommendations of 0.02mSv/week and 1mSv/year respectively. From the results, the mean calculated chance of developing cancer was 2.33 ×10-3% which was lower than the NCRP recommendation for continuous public exposure of 5.5×10-3 %. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the integrity of the shielding designs and their dimensions assessed are safe.

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“…6 The ICRP recommended that medical activities involving ionizing radiation should fulfill the three basic principles of justification, optimization and dose limitation. [7][8][9] Therefore, proper clinical audit, practicing justification and development of optimized size specific scan protocols is important to keep the doses at an appropriate level and to reduce the risk associated with CT examination. 10 This involves taking into consideration the patient age, gender, technical parameters such as tube potential, time per rotation, detector configuration, beam collimation, pitch and effective mAs), CT Dose indicators (Volume CT Dose Index-CTDIvol and Dose Length Product-DLP), date of CT examination, sources of referrals for medical image, anatomical regions scanned, contrast agent used and route of administration.…”

Evaluation of Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk in Some Selected X-Ray Diagnostic Centers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

“…The meter is a handheld digital radiation detector which detects gamma radiation, X-ray radiation and beta radiations with a dose power range of 0.05 to 999µSv/hr and a linear energy response to gamma radiation between 0.1 to 1.25 MeV, readings were taken within the hours of 13:00 and 16:00 hours, because the radiation meter has a peak sensitivity to environmental radiation within these hours [12][13][14]. During operation the meter was maintained at a gonadal height of 1 m above the ground surface and at 2.5. meters away from the active x-ray machines in the surveyed diagnostic centers, three readings were recorded (at the entrance, center of the X-ray room, and X-ray scanning area) and the values were average to a single value and recorded [15]. In addition, Geographical positioning system (GPS) was employed to record the coordinates of the sampled locations.…”