Radioisotopes

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What are Radioisotopes?

Radioactive isotope or radioisotope, natural or artificially created isotope of a chemical element having an unstable nucleus that decays, emitting alpha, beta, or gamma rays until stability is reached. The stable end product is a non-radioactive isotope of another element that is radium-226 decays finally to lead-206. Careful measurements show that many materials contain traces of radioactive isotopes. Radioactive isotopes’ presence is neither left, nor it possess any smell, or taste

What is a Medical Radioactive Isotope?

A very small quantity of radioactive substance used in safe, cost-effective imaging and treatment of disease. New technologies enable medical radioactive isotopes to be delivered directly to the site of diseased cells. This is different from external beam radiation treatment where radiation is directed from outside of the body.

Uses of Radioisotopes

• Nuclear medicine
• Radiotherapy departments in hospitals and cancer treatment centers
• X-ray clinics
• Treatment of cancer, especially laryngeal cancer, intestinal cancer. Lung cancer, cervix cancer & others
• Generating nuclear power

Hazards of Radioactive Workers

• Deformity in foetus
• Glaucoma
• Cataract
• Leukemia
• Deformed bone marrow
• Aplastic anaemia
• Abnormal change in gene mutation
• Abnormal chromosomal change
• Development of carcinogenic cell in other parts because of exposure to radioisotopes

Risk Groups

• Radiologists
• Radiotherapists
• Radiotherapy department staff
• X-ray laboratory workers
• Television-worm
• Computer-worm
• Chemical factory workforce
• Clinical oncologists
• Hospital staff involved in registering chemotherapy

Guidelines

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), in association with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BERC), has advised some precautionary measures:

• Verify from supplier that unit, which is either radiation generating equipment such as medical accelerator, simulator or houses sealed radioactive material such as Telecobalt, gamma knife, brachytherapy unit to be installed is either type approved by AERB or a NOC is issued by AERB
• Layout has to be submitted with AERB headquarters in Mumbai before construction. Developer or hospital authorities can only initiate construction after approval from AERB
• Install monitors in and around radiotherapy room. All devices should be automatically controlled
• Send regular reports to AERB
• Recruit at least one qualified safety officer, who should be a physicist.
• Doctors, technicians and other staff involved in radiotherapy department should always wear TLD badge to help measure amount of radiation absorbed by the body. The safety limit is fixed by AERB, and if any one found higher than that, he should be sent on leave for health recovery.
• Door of the radiotherapy room should be automatically controlled so that opening it will immediately stop machine. Only patient should be allowed inside. Doctor should monitor on CCTV in separate room.