The Health Effects of High Radiation Doses The NEA contribution to the evolution of the international system of radiological protection Revised ICNIRP Guidelines on static magnetic fields Consultation on revisions to the European Directive on occupational EMF exposure Low dose risk research in Europe—the future

Background: Urolithiasis patients often require frequent urinary tract imaging, leading to high radiation exposure. CT Kidney-Ureter-Bladder (CT-KUB) is the gold standard in urolithiasis detection, however it is thought to harbour significant radiation load. Urologists have therefore utilised abdominal radiographs (XR-KUB) as an alternative, though with markedly lower sensitivity and specificity. We present the first contemporary UK study comparing the effective doses of XR-KUBs with low dose CT-KUBs. Method: Fifty-three patients were retrospectively identified in a single centre who underwent both a XR-KUB and a CT-KUB in 2018. Effective-Dose was measured by converting the recorded ‘Dose Area/Length Product’ via the International Commission on Radiological Protection formula. Results: The average effective dose of XR-KUBs and low dose CT-KUBs were 5.10 mSv and 5.31 mSv respectively. Thirty-four percent (18/53) of patients had a XR-KUBs with a higher effective dose than their low dose CT-KUB. Patients with higher Weight, BMI and AP diameter had higher effective doses for both their XR and low dose CT-KUBs. All patients in our study weighing over 92 kg or with a BMI greater than 32 had a XR-KUBs with a higher effective dose than their low dose CT-KUB. Conclusion: This data supports moving away from XR-KUBs for the investigation of urolithiasis, particularly in patients with a high BMI.

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Issues in the Implementation of Directive 2013/35/EU Regarding the Protection of Workers against Electromagnetic Fields

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182010673 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (20) ◽

pp. 10673

Author(s):

Gian Marco Contessa ◽

Simona D’Agostino ◽

Rosaria Falsaperla ◽

Carlo Grandi ◽

Alessandro Polichetti

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Fields ◽

Health Effects ◽

Electromagnetic Fields ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Time Varying ◽

Transient Effects ◽

Exposure Limits ◽

Critical Feature ◽

Static Magnetic Fields ◽

Electric And Magnetic Fields

In 2016 the Directive 2013/35/EU regarding the protection of health and safety of workers exposed to electromagnetic fields was transposed in Italy. Since then, the authors of this paper have been faced with several issues related to the implementation of the provisions of the Directive, which pose some interpretative and operative concerns. A primary critical feature of the Directive is that, in some circumstances, conditions of “overexposure”, i.e., of exceeding the exposure limits, are allowed. In the case of transient effects, the “flexibility” concerning the compliance with exposure limits is based on the approach introduced by ICNIRP in its guidelines on static magnetic fields and on time-varying electric and magnetic fields. On the contrary, the possibility of exceeding the exposure limits for health effects, formally recognized in the article of the Directive dealing with derogations, is not included in the ICNIRP guidelines. This paper analyzes the main concerns in interpreting and managing some provisions of the Directive with particular reference to the issue of how the employer can manage the situations of overexposure.

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Health effects of static magnetic fields—a review of the epidemiological evidence

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology ◽

10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2004.08.007 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 87 (2-3) ◽

pp. 241-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 67

Author(s):

Maria Feychting

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Fields ◽

Health Effects ◽

Epidemiological Evidence ◽

Static Magnetic Fields

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Health Effects and Safety of Static Magnetic Fields*

Magnetic Resonance Procedures ◽

10.1201/9781420041569-6 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 17-46

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Fields ◽

Health Effects ◽

Static Magnetic Fields

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Projected Structure of the Surface Protein of Sulfolobus Spec. B12 Determined to a Resolution of 1.0 NM by Cryo-Electronmicroscopy

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100179269 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 102-103

Author(s):

G. Lembcke ◽

F. Zemlin

Keyword(s):

Low Dose ◽

Maximum Dose ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Surface Protein ◽

Protein S ◽

Radiation Sensitivity ◽

Specimen Preparation ◽

Molecular Architecture ◽

High Radiation ◽

Fritz Haber

The thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus spec. B12 , which is closely related to Sulfolobus solfataricus , possesses a regularly arrayed surface protein (S-layer), which is linked to the plasma membrane via spacer elements spanning a distinct interspace of approximately 18 nm. The S-layer has p3-Symmetry and a lattice constant of 21 nm; three-dimensional reconstructions of negatively stained fragments yield a layer thickness of approximately 6-7 nm.For analysing the molecular architecture of Sulfolobus surface protein in greater detail we use aurothioglucose(ATG)-embedding for specimen preparation. Like glucose, ATG, is supposed to mimic the effect of water, but has the advantage of being less volatile. ATG has advantages over glucose when working with specimens composed exclusively of protein because of its higher density of 2.92 g cm-3. Because of its high radiation sensitivity electromicrographs has to be recorded under strict low-dose conditions. We have recorded electromicrographs with a liquid helium-cooled superconducting electron microscope (the socalled SULEIKA at the Fritz-Haber-lnstitut) with a specimen temperature of 4.5 K and with a maximum dose of 2000 e nm-2 avoiding any pre-irradiation of the specimen.

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