Cancer Risk Assessment due to Accidental Exposure inside Neutron Laboratories using BEIR VII Model

Document Type : Original Paper

Authors

1 Young Researchers Club, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran

2 Physics Department, Hakim Sabzavari University, Sabzavar, Iran

3 Dept. of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences

4 Radiation Medicine Department, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Environmental and occupational human exposure from neutron source can lead to the serious biologic effects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cancer incidence risk for various human organs at different neutron dose levels due to exposure from an Americium-241/Beryllium (Am-241/Be), a standard neutron source for calibration purposes.
Material and Methods: We measured ambient dose equivalent H*(10) at different distances from Am-241/Be mixed neutron source by Berthold LB 6411 detector and determined cancer incidence risk for different organs of both male and female subjects at different neutron exposure levels by BEIR VII model.
Results: Exposure age had a reverse impact on cancer incidence risk of different organs. We found that as H*(10) increases, cancer incidence risk increments as well. Colon (for men) and bladder (for women) had the highest sensitivity to neutron exposure, while prostate and uterus showed the lowest risk of cancer incidence among male and female subjects, respectively.
Conclusion: Older exposed persons are at a lower risk of cancer incidence. The risk of cancer incidence for various organs is considerably associated with gender, such that radiation sensitivity of female organs was higher at all the measured neutron dose levels.

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Main Subjects

References

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Iranian Journal of Medical Physics
Volume 15, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
October 2018
Pages 251-255

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History

  • Receive Date: 02 January 2018
  • Revise Date: 20 March 2018
  • Accept Date: 27 March 2018

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