Health Physics

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Health Physics

• The Science of
• Radiation Protection

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Radiation

• What do you think of when you hear the terms
• Radiation
• Atomic
• Radioactivity
• Nuclear

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Brief History of Radiation Protection
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Discovery of X Rays

• Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x rays in November
  1895 and announced his discovery on January 5,
  1896.

• Scientists had been making x rays without knowing
  it for years.
• Medical uses of x rays began almost immediately
  thereafter.
• Diagnostic x-ray images were taken within 2
  weeks.
• Radiation therapy for cancer performed within 6
  weeks.

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Bizarre claims were made

• An x-ray image of a bone projected onto the brain
  of a dog would make the dog salivate
• X-ray baths supposedly cured blindness and
  criminality
• Beauty parlors used x rays to remove unwanted
  hair
• Leaded undergarments were sold to protect the
  modesty of girls.

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Discovery of Radioactivity

• While all of the excitement over x rays was going
  on, Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity in
  March 1896. Unlike x rays, radioactivity did not
  interest the public at first because it was not
  very plentiful.
• By 1903, Radium was commercially available
• Cancer treatments were performed by August 1903
  (Alexander Graham Bell first proposed this.)
• Watch dials were painted with radium.
• Publics fascination with radioactivity began.

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Bizarre uses of radioactive material

• Drinking radium contaminated water was considered
  healthy.
• Liquid Sunshine (a drink which glowed when mixed
  with radium) became popular.
• Radium bearing medicines were patented.
• A farmer advocated the addition of radium to
  chicken feed to produce hard boiled eggs.

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Radioactive toothpaste
If radioactivity is good for one end, it must be
good at the other end, too. A box of radium
suppositories.
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Radiation injuries occurred

• The first reported injury (eye irritation) was
  published on March 5, 1896.
• Skin burns, dermatitis, and alopecia were
  reported as early as April, 1896.
• The first report of radiation sickness occurred
  in November, 1896.

Obviously there was a need for radiation
protection.
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Radiation burn caused by x rays used to remove
unwanted hair.
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Doctors Tested X Ray Machines with Own Hands
Fluoroscope
X-ray tube
Radiographic plate
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Todays uses of Radiation

• The properties of radiation make it useful for a
  variety of applications

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Industrial Uses
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Sterilization
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Nuclear Power
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Industrial Radiography
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Well Logging

• Well Logging

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Construction
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Gauges
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Security
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Medical Uses
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Cancer Treatment - HDR
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Linear Accelerator
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Cancer of Eye
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Prostate Cancer
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Diagnostic Imaging
Radiographs
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Fluoroscopy
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Mammography
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Nuclear Medicine
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Biomedical Research

• DNA Sequencing

• X-ray Diffraction

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Benefits and Risks

• It should be noted that there are beneficial uses
  of radiation, from treating cancer to generating
  electricity, BUT it can be harmful if used in an
  unsafe way, exposing people to the potential
  harmful effects of radiation. For this reason
  both the states and federal government regulate
  the many uses of radiation.

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Health Physics

• The profession devoted to protecting people and
  their environment from potential radiation
  hazards, while making beneficial uses of
  radiation and radioactivity possible.

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Health Physicists

• Scientists who control the beneficial uses of
  ionizing radiation while protecting workers and
  the public from potential hazards.

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Health Physics many disciplines, include

• physics
• biology
• biophysics
• engineering (nuclear, civil, mechanical, or
  electrical)
• chemistry
• genetics
• ecology
• environmental sciences
• metallurgy
• medicine
• physiology
• toxicology
• statistics

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Fields for Health Physicists

• Research
• Industry
• Power Reactors
• Education
• Environmental protection
• National defense
• Government regulatory agencies
• Medicine

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Academic Programs
A partial list of academic programs in Health
Physics Bloomsburg University BS University of
Cincinnati MS PhD Clemson University MS PhD Un
iversity of Florida BS MS PhD Idaho State
University AA BS MS PhD University of Nevada
Los Vegas BS MS Oregon State University BS MS Ph
D Purdue University BS MS PhD University of
Mass.-Lowell BS MS PhD University of
Michigan BS MS PhD University of
Tennessee BS MS PhD Texas AM University BS MS P
hD Uniformed Services MS PhD Vanderbilt
University MS PhD Thomas Edison AA BS
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Professional Certification
You may seek certification at either of two
educational and experience levels

• For the professional health physicist,
  certification may be obtained from the American
  Board of Health Physics (ABHP)
• For health physics technicians, registration may
  be obtained from the National Registry of
  Radiation Protection Technologists (NRRPT).

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My Job

• Insert your specific job here, such as title and
  where you work

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What do I do?

• Add a sentence or two about what you do in your
  daily duties

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Specifics?

• Add 5 to 7 specifics about your job

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How did I get here?

• Where did your degree come from
• What sort of certification or registration do you
  have

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There are worse jobs!
Dont look down!
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Please, please, please aim higher.
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This job is the pits!
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Yuck!
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Salaries

• Educational Level Average Median Minimum
  Maximum
• Associate Degree 78,125 68,750 51,250 116,250
• B.S. Health Physics 85,694 83,750 43,750
  171,250
• M.S. Health Physics 92,399 93,750 41,250
  185,000
• Ph.D. Health Physics 111,838 101,250 46,250
  330,000
• M.S. Nuclear Eng. 92,666 91,250 41,250 133,750
  
• Ph.D. Nuclear Eng. 104,449 93,750 46,250
  178,144