搜索结果：Journal of radiological protection : official journal of the Society for Radiological Protection

This study investigates how much the conventional quantity value (true value) of the operational quantityHp(3) changes for oblique radiation incidence when a rotation around the horizontal instead of the commonly used vertical axis of the cylinder phantom is performed. For this, conversion coefficientshpK(3) andhpD(3), for photons and betas, respectively, were calculated for both vertical (usual) and horizontal rotations of the cylinder phantom for mono-energetic photons from 2 keV to 10 MeV and for reference beta-particle fields with mean energies from 0.54 MeV to 1.2 MeV. From the results, the ratio of the values for horizontal and vertical rotations were determined. To complement these, the corresponding ratios for the equivalent dose to the lens of the eye, H lens , were calculated and compared with the results forHp(3).For mono-energetic photons, it turned out thatHp(3) is significantly smaller when a rotation around the horizontal instead of the commonly used vertical axis is performed -as photon fields are assumed to propagate (nearly) parallel and, therefore, need to penetrate a significantly longer pathlength in the cylinder phantom when rotated around the horizontal axis; the effect is largest for small photon energies and large angles of radiation incidence whereHp(3) is reduced to practically zero for the horizontal rotation compared to the normal (vertical) rotation. For reference beta-particle fields, however, the differences between vertical and horizontal rotations are mostly below 10 % -due to the rather broad angular distribution of beta fields resulting in only small differences of the "effective" pathlength in the cylinder phantom. In contrast, the differences of the dose to the lens of the eye,Hlens, are rather large for both photons and betas and always significantly larger than forHp(3).These findings may serve ICRU (International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements) to judge whether an updated definition of the operational quantityHp(3) shall be considered. If so, ISO (International Standardization Organization) needs to provideHp(3) values for horizontal rotations for reference radiation fields and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) needs to extend their dosemeter type-test procedures to horizontal rotations.

Objectives.This study aimed to validate the Portuguese version of the healthcare professional knowledge of radiation protection (HPKRP) scale to assess knowledge of radiation protection among healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation. The increasing use of radiation in medicine raises concerns about potential side effects, not only for patients but also for professionals operating the equipment. Appropriate and well-constructed instruments are essential to generate structured and interpretable findings and quantifiable outcomes that support improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and practices.Methods.A descriptive correlational cross-sectional study was conducted electronically using a Google Forms survey between March 2025 and July 2025. Participants included nurses, doctors, dentists, and radiographers who use a personal dosimeter. The Portuguese version of the HPKRP was developed using translation and back-translation procedures, followed by statistical validation. Internal consistency, item-total correlations, and regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS (version 30).Results.A total of 247 valid responses were analysed. The scale demonstrated very high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.983). Item-total correlations ranged from 0.568 to 0.890, confirming strong internal consistency. Radiographers reported the highest perceived knowledge, while nurses scored lowest. Knowledge gaps were identified particularly in areas related to radiation physics (formulas and units of measurement) and reporting of adverse events. Training in radiation protection was significantly associated with higher scores (p< 0.001).Conclusions.The Portuguese version of the HPKRP scale demonstrates high internal consistency and provides preliminary evidence of reliability for assessing healthcare professionals' self-perceived knowledge of radiation protection. However, as a subjective measure, it does not reflect objective knowledge or clinical competence and should be interpreted with caution. The instrument may be useful for identifying perceived knowledge gaps and supporting educational strategies when used in combination with objective assessment methods.

Despite the increased use of177Lu in nuclear medicine (NM) over the last 10 years, the knowledge of the actual exposure of the extremities due to manipulation of this pharmaceutical is limited. The purpose of this study is to assess the extremity dose during the preparation and administration of177Lu-labelled radiopharmaceuticals in a wide range of NM practices. Workers in 10 NM centres throughout Europe wore a ring dosimeter on the base of the index finger of the non-dominant hand during preparation and/or administration of177Lu-labelled radiopharmaceuticals. Information on manipulated activity, tasks performed and protection measures was collected to allow sub-analyses. The median ring dose per monitoring interval was 0.16 mSv, with a maximum of 2.27 mSv in one month. The median normalised dose amounted 3.5&#xb5;Sv GBq-1(range 0.5-525). The highest monthly doses were found for workers involved in preparation of the pharmaceutical. The workers performing manual administrations (6.5&#xb5;Sv GBq-1) showed higher normalised ring doses than those using the gravity method (3.5&#xb5;Sv GBq-1) or a syringe pump (1.0&#xb5;Sv GBq-1). Explanations for the wide range of normalised ring doses may be found in the different techniques applied in this study and the differences in minimum reportable doses of the dosimeters. When the data is extrapolated using a fingertip to ring dose ratio of 5, an annual fingertip dose of 1-136 mSv is found, with a median fingertip dose of 10 mSv per year. Extremity exposure during177Lu handling remained well below dose limits. The highest normalised doses occurred during preparation and manual administration. Overall, this investigation shows doses remain low when appropriate radiation protection measures (e.g. shielding and minimising time at short distance) are being applied.

Releases from nuclear or radiological security events can result in significant internal radiation contamination through inhalation of particulate contaminants. The reference human respiratory tract model (HRTM), developed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and described in the ICRP Publication 66 with subsequent updates in the ICRP Publication 130, is used to evaluate the deposition and clearance behaviour of inhaled radionuclides. Biokinetic models are used to quantify the retention and excretion of internally deposited particulates, supporting the calculation of inhalation dose coefficients (DCs). The HRTM developed by the ICRP utilises deterministic quantities outlined in the ICRP Publication 66 and 130. The overarching goal of this study was to determine the variability from deterministic biokinetic/dosimetry models to represent the stochastic breadth of radionuclide metabolism in an exposed occupational population from realistic source terms, yielding an expanded compendium of inhalation DCs. The analysis was carried out in three phases: (1) Implementation and extension of the biokinetic and DC modelling framework based on the ICRP Publication 130 HRTM and associated element specific systemic biokinetic models; (2) Investigation of uncertain parameters in the HRTM; and (3) Stochastic analysis using Latin hypercube sampling, incorporating non-parametric (Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics) test and quantile-quantile plot assessment to support parametric distribution selection, for characterisation of the committed effective DCs distributions. To determine the most impactful parameters among the uncertain parameters, a random forest regression model was employed for feature importance, coupled with SHapley Additive exPlanations for comprehensive machine learning interpretation of the features. This study presents a unique stochastic framework for modelling inhaled particulate metabolism, enhancing capabilities in radiation consequence management, medical countermeasure development, and radiation dose reconstruction for epidemiological investigations.

The use of non-ionising radiation for aesthetic purposes is steadily increasing, with aesthetic laboratories frequently employing lasers, intense pulsed light (IPL), ultraviolet, and light-emitting diode (LED) devices. In Greece, as in many countries, no regulatory framework exists to ensure the safety of clients and operators, despite international recommendations for harmonised oversight. This study aimed to document device use, safety measures, and operator knowledge in Greek aesthetic laboratories. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to the 964 members of the Federation of Professional Associations of Diplomated Aestheticians of Greece (O.S.E.D.A.E), with 120 responses (12.4%). Among the participants 91 of the them were scientific supervisors of a laboratory. Results showed that 85% of (the 91) aesthetic laboratories used lasers (12% more than one type), 50% used LED, and 33% employed IPL systems. Although few injuries were reported, approximately 60% of respondents lacked an accident protocol for lasers, and over 70% lacked one for IPL and LED. Furthermore, from the answers of all participants (120), indicated that safety measures were applied mainly for clients, while warning signage was often absent. Training on device use and safety was provided primarily by suppliers. Respondents identified equipment maintenance and operator training as the most important safety measures, and most of them expressed strong interest in further education. The findings highlight the need to strengthen the safety culture surrounding the aesthetic use of optical radiation in Greece.

Sodium chloride (NaCl) has been proposed as a retrospective and prospective dosemeter for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry. The potential for NaCl pellets for individualisedin situdose assessment during a radiological or nuclear emergency was enhanced by their suitability with a portable OSL reader. The current paper studies the possibility of developing a public dosimetric badge, based on NaCl pellets and commonly available low-cost materials. Copper, aluminium and polylactic acid were tested for reducing the overresponse to low x-ray energies, and the results indicated that copper is the best candidate-material for filtering purposes. Furthermore, the ratio between filtered and unfiltered samples may potentially be used to determine the mean energy of the exposure field in some circumstances. In addition, the NaCl pellets exhibit constant response for air kerma rates between 0.006 and 1.9 Gy min-1. The fading of the pellets does not present any energy dependence. Air kerma reconstruction with three stimulation modes was investigated, and the reconstructed air kerma deviated from the nominal value between 0.8 and 7.9%, which were within measurement uncertainties. The discrepancy between Monte Carlo simulations of the exposed pellets and the experimental data is possibly due to the intrinsic luminescent efficiency of the salt, which in the current study is assumed constant for the entire energy regime. Alanine, exposed together with the NaCl pellets, was studied for the intercomparison and air kerma rate experiments, and showed accurate air kerma reconstruction, with deviation from the actual doses within &#x223c;1&#x3c3;, and no significant variation with the air kerma rate. Analysis of the alanine dose estimations investigated the conventional peak-to-peak method alongside a fitting method, which did not lead to any improvements in measurement accuracy.

During nuclear disasters, shelter-in-place (SIP) is often a safer alternative to evacuation for patients in medical facilities who may be particularly vulnerable. In Japan, medical institutions located near nuclear facilities have been equipped with positive-pressure systems (PPS), designed specifically for radiation protection. However, operational protocols to execute and manage SIP and PPS remain poorly defined. This study aimed to investigate the challenges in implementing SIP at the time of nuclear catastrophe while maintaining essential clinical functions. A case study was conducted at the Matsue Red Cross Hospital, located within an urgent protective action planning zone. Data were gathered through participation in the hospital's nuclear disaster countermeasures committee and through analysis of meeting minutes, facility documents, and technical specifications. The findings revealed a fundamental conflict between the technical requirements of PPS and the continuity of clinical services. Four critical sub-challenges were identified: (1) the unavoidable presence of certain staff and patients in non-protected zones within the hospital; (2) the potential inability to maintain sufficient positive pressure in protected zones during active clinical service; (3) the difficulty in regulating indoor temperature and humidity as a consequence of PPS operation; and (4) the increased risk of external radiation exposure in the vicinity of PPS units when outdoor ambient dose rates are elevated. For facilities that already have PPS installed, further investigations into PPS operations and the development of countermeasures are necessary. Furthermore, when installing PPS in the future, it is desirable for the government, hospitals, and installation companies to thoroughly discuss operations and design systems to minimise the impact on hospital functions.

Radiological environmental impact assessment study was carried out for the terrestrial agricultural systems (AGS) and non-human biota (NHB) within the G&#xf6;ksu river catchment, proximate to the Akkuyu NPP in T&#xfc;rkiye, which is currently under construction. A severe accident scenario, as envisaged by the construction company, involving an atmospheric release of 3.5 TBq of137Cs and 1 TBq of90Sr, was considered. interaction matrices and exposure scenarios were meticulously prepared for AGS and NHB by analysing relevant features, events, and processes (FEP)s. Total annual effective doses to adult human receptors in two villages, B&#xfc;kde&#x11f;irmeni and Mucuk, situated approximately 50-60 km from the NPP, were calculated using the RESRAD-Onsite model. Dose rates to terrestrial and freshwater biota within a forest area of the G&#xf6;ksu river catchment were assessed using the ERICA Tool. The calculated total annual doses for adults were approximately 1.0 mSv and 1.1 mSv for B&#xfc;kde&#x11f;irmeni and Mucuk villages, respectively, with external irradiation from ground-deposited137Cs being the dominant pathway. For NHB, total absorbed dose rates ranged from 0.67 to 5.36&#xb5;Sv&#xb7;h-1for terrestrial organisms and from 3.0 to 8.7 &#xd7; 10&#x2074;&#xb5;Sv&#xb7;h-1for freshwater organisms. While all terrestrial biota dose rates remained below the IAEA screening benchmark (40&#xb5;Sv&#xb7;h-1), most freshwater organisms exceeded the corresponding benchmark (400&#xb5;Sv&#xb7;h-1), indicating potential ecological risks in aquatic environments. The FEP-driven catchment-based approach facilitated a systematic evaluation of potential radiological consequences, underscoring the importance of such assessments for emergency preparedness and environmental management.

Interventional cardiology procedures chronically expose healthcare personnel to ionising radiation, raising concerns about long-term health effects such as cataracts and cancer. Consequently, growing attention has been directed towards advanced shielding technologies capable of substantially reducing occupational dose while improving ergonomic conditions."Objective.To synthesise the available evidence on the technical performance and radiation attenuation capabilities of autonomous radiation protection systems (ARPS) (Protego&#x2122;, Rampart&#x2122;, and EggNest XR&#x2122;), used in interventional cardiology settings. A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR framework. Relevant studies were identified through a systematic search of PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus, WOS and Cochrane. Eligible studies included clinical and phantom-based assessments reporting quantitative dosimetric outcomes. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Protego&#x2122; was associated with consistently high reported attenuation, typically &#x2a7e;95% in studies providing quantifiable measurements; in several investigations, post-shielding doses fell below the detection limits of standard personal dosimeters, whereas Rampart&#x2122; demonstrated wider reported attenuation ranges (approximately 16.7%-100%) across heterogeneous study designs and measurement protocols and EggNest XR&#x2122; exhibited attenuation values ranging from 91.5% to 99.0% in a single phantom-based study. Device performance varied by anatomical site and professional role, with higher attenuation typically observed among primary operators (often exceeding 95% at head and torso levels) compared with more variable reductions in peripheral personnel such as nurses and anaesthesiologists, where attenuation occasionally decreased to the 80%-90% range depending on positioning and projection. The attenuation results for autonomous shielding systems are promising, particularly for fixed systems, which demonstrate consistently high performance. Given their potential for ergonomic improvement and radiation reduction, ARPS are emerging as valuable tools. However, given the limited clinical validation and the heterogeneity of existing study, the implementation of these systems should be supported by site-specific validation and standardised dosimetry protocols".

The use of fluoroscopy in orthopedic interventional procedures has become increasingly common. Although it offers significant clinical advantages by reducing procedural invasiveness, it also exposes both patients and medical staff to ionizing radiation. This study reports occupational dose measurements for surgeons during 40 proximal femur fracture procedures conducted at a reference hospital in Recife, Brazil. The estimated annual effective doses for the leading and auxiliary surgeons were approximately 1.3-1.5 mSv, corresponding to about 7.5% of the annual dose limit (n= 325 procedures yr-1). The estimated annual eye lens exposures for both surgeons ranged from 4.7-5.8 mSv yr-1, approaching 30% the current eye lens dose limit. For these procedures, the glabella (forehead) position was identified as the most appropriate location for the eye lens dosimeter. A correlation betweenHp(10) values measured externally on the thyroid shield andHp(3) doses at the glabella suggests that eye lens dose measurements can serve as a preliminary indicator-within &#xb1;15%-for determining the need for dedicated eye lens monitoring when annual lens doses may exceed 15 mSv. Dose measurements to the hands varied according to the procedure type and the equipment used. The highest values were observed during complex surgeries, such as complex subtrochanteric fractures with multiple fragments. The frequency of outliers in the hand dose data, observed in approximately 15% of the procedures, is associated with cases in which at least one of the surgeon's hands was exposed to the primary beam. For the leading surgeon, the doses from outliers to the left hand accounted for 58% of the total dose to that hand, whereas for the auxiliary surgeon, 16% of procedures classified as high outliers contributed 75% of the total dose. These findings emphasise the importance of keeping hands outside the primary beam, as even brief direct exposures can significantly increase occupational hand doses.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has adopted mesh-type reference computational phantoms (MRCPs) for the calculation of new reference dose coefficients following the forthcoming general recommendations. In the present study, the computational performance of adult and pediatric MRCPs was systematically evaluated using recently updated Monte Carlo radiation transport codes, including PHITS (version 3.31), Geant4 (version 11.01.p02), MCNP6.3, and EGSnrc (version 2025a). Performance evaluation included initialisation time, memory usage, computation time, and multi-threading efficiency for photon, electron, and neutron transport under selected external exposure scenarios. Among the evaluated codes, EGSnrc exhibited the longest initialisation time, approximately 8-9 times longer than PHITS. Nevertheless, the absolute time remained within a few minutes. In terms of memory usage, PHITS and EGSnrc required the least memory (<2 GB), whereas Geant4 required the largest memory (approximately 13-14 GB). For computation time, EGSnrc showed the fastest performance for photons and electrons with energies &#x2a7d;10 MeV, while PHITS demonstrated the shortest computation time for neutrons. MCNP6.3 consistently exhibited longer computation times compared with the other codes. When compared with simulations using the existing ICRP voxel-type reference computational phantoms (VRCPs), PHITS and Geant4 showed comparable or shorter computation times for mesh phantoms. EGSnrc exhibited comparable or shorter computation times for pediatric mesh phantoms, whereas the opposite trend was observed for adult phantoms. In contrast, MCNP6.3 consistently showed longer computation times for the MRCPs than for the VRCPs. Despite its relatively longer absolute computation time, MCNP6.3 demonstrated the best multi-threading performance among the evaluated codes, showing near-linear scaling of computation speed with increasing number of threads. The results of this study provide practical guidance for users in selecting an optimal Monte Carlo code for dose calculations using ICRP MRCPs.

Radium isotopes are central to marine radioecology and environmental radiological protection because they connect natural decay series, sediment-water exchange, offshore oil and gas naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), technologically enhanced NORM and exposure of humans and non-human biota. Marine sediments are often described as radionuclide repositories, yet for radium they may function as reactive interfaces where activity is generated, adsorbed, coprecipitated, remobilised, buried, resuspended or incorporated into low-solubility sulfate phases such as radiobarite. This review develops a framework-guided synthesis of226Ra and228Ra in marine sediments, produced water, NORM scale, oily sludge, sediment-water exchange, analytical methods and radiological risk assessment. The proposed framework organises the evidence into five domains: source terms, host phases, mobility processes, analytical observability and exposure relevance. Recent studies show that produced-water radium can precipitate as micron-sized radiobarite or radiostrontiobarite particles, radium-bearing barite scales may preserve strong mineralogical control over solubility and release and ecological dose assessment depends on exposure geometry, partitioning assumptions, mineral incorporation, progeny ingrowth, sediment mixing depth and organism occupancy. Bulk activity concentration alone is therefore insufficient for interpreting radiological significance. Future monitoring should integrate226Ra and228Ra activity, isotope ratios, porewater measurements, Ba-Sr-Ca-SO4chemistry, mineralogical characterisation, phase-specific activity, leaching tests, site-specificKdvalues and tiered dose modelling. By reframing marine sediments as active radium reaction zones, this review provides a practical basis for improved monitoring, offshore NORM management and environmental radiation protection.

Radiation doses from incorporated radionuclides are typically estimated from monitoring data using the maximum-likelihood method followed by a check of the goodness of fit. The likelihood function depends not only on the assumed biokinetic model but also on the information provided by the measurement process. Measurements recorded as below a known censoring threshold (type-I left censoring) are still encountered in internal dosimetry, particularly in historical databases used for epidemiological studies. This paper considers a goodness of fit method for datasets that include censored observations. We focus on censored regression, commonly used in internal dosimetry to estimate intakes from measurements. The method relies on the Tobit likelihood function assuming that both observed and censored data follow a specified probability distribution. We propose the use of the deviance, a generalisation of the familiar&#x3c7;2quantity, as a measure of discrepancy between measurements and the model predictions. Goodness of fit is then evaluated by comparing the observed deviance to its reference probability distribution. Although this reference distribution does not have generally a closed analytical form it is simple to compute via Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. As a computationally more efficient alternative, we derive analytical approximations for the distribution of the deviance of normally and lognormally distributed data. These approximations are expressed in terms of the gamma distribution, which includes the&#x3c7;2distribution as a special case. The derived gamma approximations have been validated against MC simulations for several exposure scenarios. While censoring should be avoided when possible, providing a simple method for assessing the goodness of fit should further encourage internal dosimetrists to rely on the censored regression technique rather than using substitution methods.

A large number of epidemiological cohort studies have evaluated radiation risks at low doses; however, the applicability of the linear no-threshold model to the low-dose range (LDR) remains an unresolved issue. This study argues that conventional statistical methods used in cohort analyses may not be suitable for assessing radiation effects in the LDR. Major limitations include the use of broad attained-age stratification, the dominance of high-dose observations in single-model regression, and inconsistent treatment of strongly correlated confounders such as smoking. To address these limitations, we propose improved statistical procedures optimised for the LDR and apply them to the publicly available dataset of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation's life span study (LSS-2009). The proposed method derives baseline estimates exclusively from non-exposed groups, excludes individuals of unknown smoking status, and varies the upper boundary of the LDR while maintaining fixed baseline coefficients. Under these analytical conditions, the excess relative risk coefficient appears to change sign within a certain dose range, which may suggest the possibility of threshold-like behaviour. Even within the constraints of limited data, the present analysis indicates that adopting alternative analytical perspectives may allow such patterns to emerge. These findings suggest the importance of making additional datasets available and encouraging broader examination by the research community, so that conclusions can be refined through open and collective scientific discussion.

After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station accident, evacuation orders have gradually been lifted in specified reconstruction and revitalization base areas (SRRBAs) as decontamination efforts have progressed and ambient dose rates (ADs) have decreased. By contrast, the actual state of individual external doses (IDs) during outdoor work in SRRBAs after the lifting of evacuation orders, as well as the applicability of conversion coefficients (CCs) used to estimate IDs from ADs, have not been sufficiently investigated in previous studies. In this study, IDs recorded by personal dosimeters worn by outdoor workers in SRRBAs where the evacuation orders had been lifted, and their relationship with ADs derived from airborne monitoring were statistically evaluated. The Brunner-Munzel test confirmed that the median hourly-average ID, calculated by dividing the cumulative individual dose by the corresponding measurement duration, was significantly lower after the lifting of evacuation orders than before (p< 0.01). Furthermore, the median CC was 0.39, which is lower than the coefficient of 0.6 implicitly used in the Japanese government's radiation exposure dose estimation model. The Brunner-Munzel test showed no significant difference (p> 0.01) between the median CC obtained in this study and that reported in our previous study conducted before the lifting of evacuation orders (median: 0.38). These results suggest that the CC obtained in the present study is consistent with previously reported values, despite environmental changes associated with the lifting of evacuation orders. The findings are expected to contribute to improving external exposure assessment for outdoor workers in SRRBAs after the lifting of evacuation orders.

The primary focus of this work is on data validation, particle transport code capabilities, and the impact of relative changes in hydrogen and boron concentrations on shielding characteristics. Materials for radiation shielding are essential in nuclear physics because they cover sensitive electronic equipment, people, and the environment from the damaging effects of ionising radiation. The sophisticated simulation tools speed up futuristic development, reduce the time and resources required for experimental testing, and allow for the correct forecast of an effective shielding material. This study examined the effectiveness of borated polyethylene (B-PE) as a shield against fast neutron radiation and evaluated its equivalent dose rate decrease. The B-PE slabs were exposed to neutrons and gamma using a 5 curie241Am-9Beneutron source and a 1 mCi137Csgamma source, respectively. The experimental geometry was modelled in the same manner using the PHITS and MCNP programs, and an NRF-31 dosimeter was used to measure the radiation equivalent dose rates for various thicknesses of B-PE samples. The results of experimental equivalent dose rates and shielding parameters were compared with those from the PHITS and MCNP Monte Carlo Simulation codes, the results are in good agreement. Comparative research shows how the combined effects of the energy of the neutron and the doping of B, which replaces the hydrogen in polyethylene, affect the material's shielding capacity. A different radiation field provide more confirmation that incorporating of low-Zelements does not improve gamma attenuation significantly and considered as a secondary result.

For application in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry for neutron fields, the present study establishes a dataset of tooth enamel dose coefficients (DCs) for idealized external neutron exposures using the adult mesh-type reference computational phantoms of the international commission on radiological protection. PHITS Monte Carlo neutron transport simulations were performed to compute DCs for buccal and lingual enamels for the front, front-left, front-right, left, and right teeth for 68 monoenergetic neutrons under antero-posterior (AP), postero-anterior (PA), left-lateral, right-lateral, rotational, and isotropic (ISO) irradiation geometries. The dose contributions from primary neutrons and secondary photons were quantified to account for the respective sensitivities of enamel to neutrons and photons in EPR measurements. The results demonstrated meaningful variation in enamel DCs with irradiation geometry; for example, up to a 5.6-fold difference was observed between the AP and PA geometries for the front lingual enamel. In addition, the results showed that for neutron energies below 20 MeV, secondary photons contributed more than 10% to the total dose, emphasizing the need for separate consideration of primary neutrons and secondary photons when interpreting EPR signals. The neutron enamel DCs established in the present study, in combination with the previously derived photon enamel DCs, will enable improved estimation of individual radiation doses, including organ and effective doses, for realistic mixed neutron-photon exposure scenarios.

In the area of research on electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and health, decision makers and practitioners face an increasingly complex information landscape, characterised by high publication volumes, heterogeneous methods and the occasional spread of oversimplified claims. 'Spotlight on EMF Research', offered by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), wants to support the EMF-interested community by providing regular, structured assessments of selected scientific publications.Spotlight on EMF Researchoffers concise summaries and critical commentaries, brief Literature Suggestions, comprehensive literature lists, and a quarterly newsletter aimed at regulators, advisory bodies, scientists, and other expert users. This article describes the underlying rationale and workflow, including regular database searches, AI-assisted categorisation, and an interdisciplinary editorial and review process. It also presents descriptive data on the screened and featured literature and summarises early user feedback. We discuss the systematic limitations and potential selection biases of the format, its implications for risk communication in a changing media landscape, and howSpotlight on EMF Researchcomplements existing scientific EMF literature information services.

Anin situassessment of activity concentrations 238-U, 232-Th, 40-K, andRaeq, and associated radiological parameters was conducted in and around a PVC conduit pipe factory in Asaba, Nigeria, with the aim of evaluating potential health risks and environmental hazards. Measurements were conducted across four sections of the factory raw material and production hall, outside production hall, inside offices, and a control area covering twenty-two sampling points. Mean activity concentrations inside the raw material/production hall were 14.57 &#xb1; 3.69, 15.31 &#xb1; 2.08, 263.55 &#xb1; 33.44, and 56.75 &#xb1; 5.39 Bqkg-1for 238U, 232-Th, 40-K, andRaeq, respectively. Outside the production hall, values were 25.19 &#xb1; 7.05, 24.52 &#xb1; 3.92, 262.29 &#xb1; 33.38, and 80.46 &#xb1; 4.32 Bqkg-1. Inside the offices, concentrations increased to 25.19 &#xb1; 2.20, 28.10 &#xb1; 9.93, 531.00 &#xb1; 33.41, and 106.29 &#xb1; 4.09 Bqkg-1, while the control area recorded 19.76 &#xb1; 0.00, 15.43 &#xb1; 8.96, 134.59 &#xb1; 12.33, and 52.19 &#xb1; 12.33 Bqkg-1. Results showed that most radionuclide concentrations and radiological parameters including absorbed dose rate, gamma concentration index, hazard indices, annual effective dose equivalent (indoor, outdoor, and total), and excess lifetime cancer risk were below world mean values recommended by UNSCEAR and ICRP, indicating negligible radiological risk in most areas. However, the office section recorded high values, with 40-K at 531.47 &#xb1; 33.41 Bqkg-1and an annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) of 0.55 &#xb1; 0.05 mSvy-1, exceeding global mean values of 420 Bqkg-1and 0.3 mSvy-1. Although other parameters remained within permissible limits, these anomalies highlight localised radiological concerns likely linked to building materials or environmental enrichment. Overall, the study establishes that PVC production in the area is radiologically safe, while emphasising the need for periodic monitoring of office environments. The results provide baseline data for workplace safety, remediation strategies, and policy development in Nigeria's PVC industry.