A leak at a small nuclear reactor in Halden, Norway, has been contained, according to its operator. No immediate danger to staff or the surrounding environment has occurred. Atle Valseth, research director at the Institute for Energy Technology, estimated that up to 8 employees were present during the leak. The crew evacuated as soon as the leak was detected and did not receive hospital treatment as the dose they received was low. Although the incident occurred on Monday, the Norweigian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) was not alerted until the following day. The regulator is investigating the circumstances that caused the
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RF radiation awareness promoted by construction groups
In an attempt to inform employers and labor organizations about the risks of radiofrequency radiation, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), Roofing r2p Partnership, and the RF Radiation Work Group worked together to develop the Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation Awareness Program for the Construction Industry. Workers may be exposed to radiation when they work on building structures close to radiofrequency-generating devices. Overexposure may lead to adverse health effects, such as blindness, burns, and sterility, warns CPWR. Risk factors include the number of devices, the proximity of the worker to a device, and time spent near the device. Full
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Radiation protection plans for astronauts evaluated by NASA
Ahead of the launch of the Orion spacecraft, NASA is evaluating radiation protection plans for astronauts when they go into deep space. Engineers, astronauts and designers are conducting testing in a representative model of the spacecraft. Designers of the Orion capsule are also testing their plan to help astronauts escape from radiation in space. In the even of a radiation incident, astronauts will take shelter and create a fort around them using their supplies. Full Article
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Children’s radiation safety overlooked, say pediatricians
Children’s radiation safety is being overlooked and must be addressed, according to doctors Alan Schroeder, of Stanford and James Duncan of Washington University in St. Louis. The pediatricians published a Viewpoint article in JAMA Pediatrics urging for increased attention to the amount of ionizing radiation children receive. Information campaigns such as Image Gently have been documented to successfully bring radiation safety to the forefront at children’s hopsitals. However, a lot of imaging is provided outside of the hospital setting, allowing for too much variability, the authors argued. Additionally, individual hospitals can remain anonymous with no accountability for excessive imaging. To
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