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A radiation accident at an industrial accelerator facility
D A Schauer1, B M Coursey, C E Dick
1Division of Radiation Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Health Physics
|August 1, 1993
Summary
An industrial radiation accident exposed an operator to high electron beam currents, resulting in severe extremity damage. Dosimetry measurements, including electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry, estimated doses up to 55 Gy, necessitating amputations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Safety
- Industrial Hygiene
Background:
- An accidental high-dose electron beam exposure occurred during maintenance of a 3-MV industrial electron accelerator.
- The operator intentionally placed body parts into the electron beam path while the filament was off but high voltage was on, exposing them to dark current.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct the radiation accident and determine the absorbed dose to the operator's extremities.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different dosimetry methods in assessing accidental high-dose exposures.
Main Methods:
- Reconstruction of the accident scenario using accelerator parameters.
- Dosimetry measurements using radiochromic film and alanine at various positions.
- Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry on bone tissue from amputated digits to estimate dose.
Main Results:
- Measured dose rates varied significantly, reaching up to 1,300 cGy/s at the hand position.
- Electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry yielded a mean dose estimate of 55.0 ± 3.5 Gy for the victim's left middle finger.
- The high doses necessitated the amputation of digits from both hands.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the severe consequences of accidental exposure to high-energy electron beams in industrial settings.
- Electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry proved effective for retrospective dose assessment in severe radiation accidents.
- Findings underscore the critical importance of strict adherence to safety protocols during accelerator maintenance.