Industrial Uses of Radiation & Radioactive Material

1. Industrial Uses of Radiation & Radioactive Material David C Howell Radiation Safety Officer Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

2. Uses of Radiation America’s advanced industrial economy and high standard of living wouldn’t be possible without the use of radiation and radioactive materials: More disease-resistant crops Medical research Medical diagnosis& treatment

3. Uses of Radiation Manufacturing processes Consumer goods & services ~20% of America’s energy from nuclear power

4. Economics America derives substantial economic and employment benefits from the use of radiation and radioactive materials: 4,000,000 jobs $60 billion in tax revenues to local, state & federal governments $330.7 billion annually in total industrial sales

5. Economics Nuclear energy’s direct and indirect economic impacts in the US: 442,000 jobs $17.8 billion in local, state & federal tax revenues $90 billion in total sales of goods & services

6. Origin Some radioactive materials occur in nature... ...most are produced in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators

7. Destination Once they are produced, they are packaged and shipped safely to users throughout the United States; users are: Universities Hospitals Industries Laboratories

8. Medical Uses One-third of the 30 million hospitalized Americans are diagnosed or treated with radionuclides (e.g., 99mTc, 67Ga, 111In and 131I) Normal bone scan Bone metastases

9. Medical Uses Hyperthyroid conditions in humans and cats can be successfully treated with radioiodine therapy Brachytherapy (Greek for “short distance”) is used for intracavitary, interstitial and superficial treatment of tumors; small radioactive sources are placed near the tumor

10. Medical Uses More than 11 million nuclear medicine procedures are performed each year in the United States Radioactive materials are used in 100 million lab tests on tissue specimens and body fluids

11. Scientific Research The FDA requires that all new drugs be tested for safety and effectiveness; more than 80% are tested with radioactive materials Radioactive materials are also used in biomedical research, metabolic studies, genetic engineering and environmental protection studies

12. Scientific Research Archaeologists use 14C to date artifacts containing plant or animal material Museums rely on radioactive materials to verify authenticity of art objects and paintings Criminal investigators use radiation to examine evidence

13. Industrial Uses Automobile industry makes use of isotopes to test the quality of steel in cars Aircraft manufacturers use radiation to check for flaws in jet engines Mining & petroleum companies use isotopes to locate and quantify geological mineral deposits

14. Industrial Uses Oil gas & mining companies useisotopes to map geological contours (using test wells) and mine bores and to determine presence of hydrocarbons Pipeline companies utilize radioactive isotopes to look for defects in welds Construction crews use radioactive materials to gauge soil moisture content and asphalt density

15. Agricultural Uses Hardier and more disease resistant crops (peanuts, tomatoes, onions, rice, soybeans, barley) have been developed using radioactive materials in agricultural research Nutritional value, baking and melting qualities of some crops and cooking times have been improved using isotopes Radioactive materials pinpoint where illnesses strike animals to breed disease-resistant livestock

16. Agricultural Uses Radioactive materials show how plants absorb fertilizer; this helps researchers figure where and how much to apply to crops for maximum yield Isotopes help farmers and scientists control pests; e.g., California has used radiation sterilization since the mid-70s to control Mediterranean fruit fly infestations

17. Consumer Products & Services 103 US nuclear power plants provide ~20% of electricity Smoke detectors installed in ~90% of America’s homes rely on 1-2 μCi of 241Am to monitor for smoke to signal a fire Computer disks retain data better when treated with radiation

18. Consumer Products & Services Non-stick pans are treated with radiation to retain the coating Photocopiers and plastic manufacturers use small amounts of radiation to eliminate static and prevent jamming Cosmetics, hair products and contact lens solutions are sterilized with radiation to remove irritants and allergens

19. Consumer Products & Services Radioactive materials are used to sterilize medical bandages and implements as well as foodstuffs to kill pathogens 1930s Fiestaware contains uranium in the ceramic glazes To maximize light output, some lantern mantles contain radioactive thoriumnitrate

20. Nuclear Power David C HowellRadiation Safety OfficerWake Forest UniversityBaptist Medical Center

21. 1941-42 December 1941: The United States enters World War II when Japan bombs Pearl Harbor August 1942: The first pure sample of plutonium was isolated September 1942: The Manhattan Project is formed to secretly build the atomic bomb before the Germans build one

22. 1942 November 1942: Los Alamos, NMis selected as the site for the US atomic bomb laboratory By December, the first nuclear reactor was assembled in a squash court under the stands of Stagg Athletic Field at the University of Chicago; on December 2, 1942, the first atomic reactor was brought to criticality

23. 1942-45 1942-45: Oak Ridge National Laboratory is built in Oak Ridge, TN; plutonium production begins 1943-45: Hanford Site is built in Richland, WA; first reactor begins plutonium production in September 1944 April-May 1945: US troops liberate concentration camps; Germany surrenders

24. 1945 July 16, 1945: US explodes first atomic device near Alamagordo, NM August 6 & 9, 1945: United States bombs Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan

25. Late 1940s-50s 1946: Oak Ridge ships first nuclear reactor produced radioisotopes for civilian use to the Barnard Cancer Hospital in St. Louis Dec. 20, 1951: Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 lighted these four bulbs with the world’s first usable amount of electricity from nuclear energy

26. 1950s 1953: President Eisenhower proposes joint international cooperation to develop peaceful applications of nuclear energy in his “Atoms for Peace” speech January 1954: The first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus, is launched; was the first boat to visit the North Pole; steamed 500,000 miles in 25 years

27. Where is Uranium Found? Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Russia Canada USA China Mongolia Niger Brazil Australia Namibia South Africa

28. How is Uranium Processed?

29. World Dependence on Nuclear Power

30. Nuclear Energy 2001

31. US Nuclear Reactors

32. Pressurized Water Reactor

33. Three Mile Island - 1979 A minor reactor malfunction caused the temperature in the primary coolant to rise, automatically shutting down the reactor. Unfortunately, one of the relief valves failed to close and most of the primary coolant drained away, leaving the reactor core at a very high temperature. The fuel rods were damaged and radioactive material was released into the cooling water. No explosion resulted from this. The problem was contained in the reactor building, as designed. However, it did cause a lot of public concern and loss of confidence in the nuclear power industry.

34. Chernobyl - 1986 A power surge, during a test to determine how long the turbines would spin after a power loss, caused steam to lift the cover plate off the reactor, and an intense fire spread fission products into the atmosphere. This accident was caused by human error and a poorly designed and engineered reactor. The accident caused the deaths of 30 power plant employees and firemen, while another 134 emergency personnel experienced acute radiation sickness.

35. The Future? 1980 US population: 226,545,8052000 US population: 281,421,906Increase of 54,876,101 people (~24.2% change) No new nuclear power plants have been licensed or built since the early 1980s Brownouts in California, increased electrical usage in Silicon Valley, PCs, warmer summers demand more A/C, etc. Building gas turbine and fossil fuel plants; limits on solar/hydro/wind power Politics & public opinion will determine nuclear power’s future in the US