While repairing a biplane cardiovascular X-ray system in a hospital, a service technician accidentally activated the system’s floor pedal. Moving a mobile lead shield, he did not realize that the shield was jamming the pedal. He continued his work under unnoticed exposure for about 5 minutes until the system alarm was automatically activated. Most of the time, the upper part of his body was very close to the lateral x-ray tube. He wore a lead apron during the exposure but he forgot to wear his dosimeter that day.
About two hours after the exposure, the technician developed an erythema on the parts of his body that were not protected by the apron, mainly his face and neck. The next day, he reported his accident to the competent authorities and was immediately hospitalized in a unit specialized in treating heavily irradiated patients. After three days, he could leave the hospital and is now treated on outpatient basis. Considering the erythematous reaction and first information available, the local skin dose was roughly estimated to be around 5 Gray. The investigation of this accident is still ongoing.
An analysis by the Norwegian NGO Bellona of transborder trade operations with the customs code 840130 (irradiated fuel assemblies or fuel elements) show a more than twofold increase of import to EU countries of fresh nuclear fuel in cash terms – from 280 million Euros in 2022 to 686 million Euros in 2023. In physical […]
The French government has said it is "seriously" studying the option of building a plant to convert and enrich reprocessed uranium to cut its reliance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The only plant in the world that currently converts reprocessed uranium for use in nuclear power plants is in Russia. "The option of […]
Jan vd Putte quickly changed from dressing as the pied piper at the protest during the IAEA nuclear power conference to warn for the Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom and its role in Ukraine.
Anke Herold, Executive Director Oeko-Institut, Freiburg (Germany), in Brussels about the claim to triple nuclear by 2050: IPCC scenarios vs forecast development of nuclear.
