Radiation Detector Archives - X-Z LAB

RadWall M | Area Radiation Monitor installed at University of Chicago’s cyclotron research facility

Vickie Chen — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 22:18:11 +0000

Source: Science Life/University of Chicago

The University of Chicago opened up its cyclotron research facility in January, making it the only medical institution in Illinois with an operational cyclotron. The cyclotron will allow UChicago to manufacture radioactive isotopes in-house for research.

The cyclotron program is directed by Dr. Richard Freifelder. In this video, Dr. Freifelder sets up RadWall M | Area Radiation Monitor in the facility to ensure safety for the researchers.

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Leak at nuclear reactor in Norway is contained: operator

Wendy Wong — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 22:54:49 +0000

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 leak and the reason for the late warning of the situation.

Located in a mountain cave in southern Norway, the Halden reactor is operated by the Institute for Energy Technology to study nuclear safety issues. The research reactor can produce up to 25 megawatts, a fraction of what nuclear reactors in the bordering country of Sweden can produce.

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority did not detect elevated levels of radiation due to the leak. The incident is rated 1 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale and is considered an anomaly.

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China’s current nuclear safety frameworks effective, but require further development to cope with nuclear growth

Wendy Wong — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 23:16:40 +0000

A United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert team visited China to evaluate its nuclear safety in September this year. The team commended the country’s nuclear and radiation safety frameworks as effective. But with rapid nuclear energy growth, China should continue to further develop them. In the meantime, China should adopt the draft Nuclear Safety Act. China currently has 32 nuclear power reactors in operation and there are 24 nuclear power reactors under construction.

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Energy Department ends inquiry into Idaho radiation exposure

Wendy Wong — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 23:31:27 +0000

Two years ago, a radiation leak happened at an eastern Idaho nuclear facility, leading to the contamination of nine workers. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the consequences of this event were low and they will not conduct a formal investigation. The agency will continue to monitoring the company’s efforts to improve nuclear safety at the Idaho National Laboratory.

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Scientists contain radiation in Chernobyl with new shield

Wendy Wong — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 22:26:17 +0000

Scientists contain radiation in Chernobyl, Ukraine, with a newly built shield. Engineers working at the site of the famous nuclear reactor failure 30 years ago are close to finishing a new protective shelter to house the reactor and protect the surrounding area from more radiation. The radiation shield is to be the largest movable structure ever built, weighing 30,000 tons and standing the size of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. It is to replace the previous radiation shelter, which was hastily built by Soviet engineers right after the meltdown and only supposed to last 20 years.

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S. Korean firm under probe for neglecting radiation safety

Wendy Wong — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 00:20:55 +0000

A local South Korean radiographic inspection firm was got punished for violating a law on nuclear safety. An employee at the firm’s subcontractors was exposed to radiation while he was conducting a radiation test alone and without carrying a radiation measuring instrument. The firm covered it up and did not report to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission immediately.

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Former McDonnell Douglas workers, residents file suit over radiation exposure

Wendy Wong — Mon, 23 May 2016 23:38:29 +0000

Representing about 250 plaintiffs who lived and worked near airport waste site, Coldwater Creek, and another storage site in Hazelwood, the lawsuit was filed in 2012 to over radiation exposure. Three former aircraft workers and seven north St. Louis County residents hope to join this case.

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Chernobyl Disaster Radiation Exposure in Russia Mostly at Safe Levels

Wendy Wong — Mon, 09 May 2016 18:37:45 +0000

According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the exposure levels of the living areas affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have dropped substantially.

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Safety campaign reduces medical radiation risks in Africa

Wendy Wong — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:51:56 +0000

While protecting patients from radiation risks can be a challenge in many parts of Africa, in 2015, the Pan African Congress of Radiology and Imaging launched a campaign called AFROSAFE to ensure all radiation-based medical procedures are necessary and performed safely in Africa.

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Low dose radiation and health

Wendy Wong — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 18:23:47 +0000

Researchers find that cancer rates where natural background radiation is higher than average is not as high as we guess.

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