Radiation Shiedling 1954 Chalk River Canada

The greater the shielding around a radiation source, the smaller the exposure. Shielding simply means having something that will absorb radiation between you and the source of the radiation (but using another person to absorb the radiation doesn't count as shielding). The amount of shielding required to protect against different kinds of radiation depends on how much energy they have. A thin piece of light material, such as paper, or even the dead cells in the outer layer of human skin provides adequate shielding because alpha particles can't penetrate it. However, living tissue inside body, offers no protection against inhaled or ingested alpha emitters. A thin piece of light material, such as paper, or even the dead cells in the outer layer of human skin provides adequate shielding because alpha particles can't penetrate it. However, living tissue inside body, offers no protection against inhaled or ingested alpha emitters. Additional covering, for example heavy clothing, is necessary to protect against beta-emitters. Some beta particles can penetrate and burn the skin. Thick, dense shielding, such as lead, is necessary to protect against gamma rays. The higher the energy of the gamma ray, the thicker the lead must be. X-rays pose a similar challenge, so x-ray technicians often give patients receiving medical or dental X-rays a lead apron to cover other parts of their body. This is clipped from the 1954 episode Hidden Power, from the On the Spot television series from the 1950s. The episode is a visit to the Chalk River NRX Canadian atomic energy plant, showing research in the peacetime application of nuclear energy. At the time of its construction it was Canada's most expensive science facility and the world's most powerful nuclear research reactor. NRX experienced one of the world's first major reactor accidents in December 1952 when the NRX reactor underwent a violent power excursion that destroyed the core of the reactor, causing some fuel melting. The entire film is available at the US National Archive in College Park, Maryland and describes NRX, the atomic reactor, and shows investigations of the production of radioactive isotopes and their use in such fields as industry, medicine and forestry. NRX was a heavy water moderated, light water cooled, nuclear research reactor at the Canadian Chalk River Laboratories, which came into operation in 1947. The NRX operated for 45 years, being shut down permanently in 1993. It is currently undergoing decommissioning at the Chalk River Laboratories site.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• radiation
• radiological
• atomic
• nuclear
• industrial
• hygiene
• rad
• tech
• DOE
• Chalk
• River
• Ontario
• Canada
• worker
• union
• health
• safety
• HAZWOPER
• NRX
• NIEHS
• WETP
• cloud
• chamber
• science
• physics
• protection
• shielding
• alpha
• beta
• gamma
• plutonium
• sulfer
• cobalt

[kazanlaw]

Very interesting historical piece Mark!

[pengawaresux]

LoL

Bunch of twits, there's atomic canada at its best... never mind a lil cobalt is ok, the gamma rays blasting my balls feel nice