Title
X-ray Penetration Through Barriers
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
4-24-2020
Faculty Sponsor
Natalie Mourant
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to determine if there is significant dose exposure due to scatter radiation penetrating non-shielded building materials. The motivation behind this experiment was generated by the speculation that some medical locations have not been properly constructed with protective barriers to provide adequate radiation protection within their facilities. The research group tested the hypothesis by radiating through non-leaded walls and adjacent doors in order to actuate how much dose was able to penetrate through each barrier. Many variables were used to determine differences in absorbed radiation. Those variables included exposing torso and hand phantoms, altering source-to-image distances (SID), and exposure technique changes to determine the amount of dose that penetrated through the material. After the experiment was concluded, it was determined that a significant amount of scatter radiation penetrated non-leaded walls. This can negatively impact patients in neighboring rooms and conflicts with ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) practices of radiation safety.
Recommended Citation
Hammer, Carey; Draper, Jenna; Rhodes, T. J.; Pett, Susan; and Mourant, Natalie, "X-ray Penetration Through Barriers" (2020). 2020 Undergraduate Research Showcase. 76.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/under_showcase_2020/76