Health risks from exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation ionising radiation is radiation that carries sufficient energy to detach electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby ionizing them. Cobalt60 is most commonly used for food irradiation, though electron beam is finding increasing application. Nonionizing radiation sources include power lines, microwaves, radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light and lasers. Ionizing radiation is made up of energetic subatomic particles, ions or atoms moving at high speeds usually greater than 1% of the speed of light, and electromagnetic waves on. The standard sterilization method for most medical devices over the past 40 years involves gamma irradiation. Ionizing ray ionizing radiation is an excellent sterilizing agent and penetrates deep into objects. Mar 01, 2018 non ionizing radiation can also be quite powerful, and does have the power to alter the position of atoms in their orbit, but lacks the energy to completely displace, or ionize, them. Radiation kills germs that can cause disease and neutralizes other harmful organisms. The next usp chapter in this series, discusses radiation sterilization.
The council on ionizing radiation measurements and standards sponsors 2004. This report summarizes the basic aspects of radiation sterilization applied. Commercial radiation sterilization has existed since the late 1950s and has grown tremendously in popularity over the last 60 years. The international commission on non ionizing radiation protection icnirp is an independent scientific organization whose aims are to provide guidance and advice on the health hazards of non ionizing radiation exposure. Sterilizing insects with ionizing radiation springerlink.
Answer gamma radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like radio waves and visible light, only much more energetic. The coordinated research project crp on stability and stabilization of polymers under irradiation was initiated in 1994 based on the recommendation of the final research coordination meeting on radiation damage to organic materials in nuclear reactors and radiation environment iaeatecdoc351 and the advisory group meeting organized in. During this period, the market for disposable medical products has undergone enormous growth, and with it the use of ionizing radiation as a method of sterilization. Radiation sterilization, as a physical cold process, has been widely used in many developed and developing countries for the sterilization of health care products. Gamma radiation from 60co, electron beams and xrays, are all used to sterilize the medical devices used in operations and other healthcare. Nonionizing radiation has a wavelength longer than that or ionizing radiation, usually greater than about 1 nm. There are 2 general types of radiation used for sterilization, ionizing radiation and non ionizing radiation.
Icrp103, 2007 recommendations and associated annex on biology and epidemiology. The objective of the study therefore was to determine the minimum dose of gray that would be required to kill insects. Applications of ionizing radiations introduction ionizing radiation can modify physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials. Ionizing radiation is a physical technique of food sterilization that has the p otential to protect such grains from insects infestation and microbial contamination. Ionizing radiation could be a lethal health hazard if used inappropriately. Radiation sterilization an overview sciencedirect topics. Gamma radiation sterilization and ebeam sterilization are mainly used for the sterilization of pharmaceuticals. Though the ability of ionizing radiation to kill bacteria had been observed at the. During this period, the market for disposable medical products has grown enormously, and with it, the use of ionizing radiation as a method of sterilization. Nonionizing radiation can also be quite powerful, and does have the power to alter the position of atoms in their orbit, but lacks the energy to completely displace, or ionize, them.
Ionizing radiation is a form of energy that acts by removing electrons from atoms and molecules of materials that include air, water, and living tissue. Here we are concerned with only one type of radiation, ionizing radiation, which occurs in two forms waves or particles. The sterilization by radiation of disposable medical items has been investigated. The unit of absorbed dose is the gray gy where 1 gy is equivalent to the absorption of 1 jkg. Gamma irradiation is the most popular form of radiation sterilisation and is used when materials are sensitive to the high temperature of autoclaving but compatible.
Bags used in baginbox aseptic packaging are currently sterilized withgraysfroma60co source. Pdf radiation sterilization of healthcare products at isomed. For the purposes of this part of iso 117, the term dose is used to mean. Risk mitigation and regulatory compliance with gamma. Overview of effects and protection of nonionizing radiation. Various vegetative and sporebearing bacteria have been irradiated and results indicate that 25 mrad can be recommended to give a high degree of sterility. Furthermore, compliance with the requirements ensures that this activity is both reliable and reproducible so that predictions can be made, with reasonable confidence, that there is a low level of. Food irradiation the application of ionizing radiation to food is a technology that improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and insects. Proceedings of the international conference on nonionizing radiation at uniten icnir2003 electromagnetic fields and our health 20th n 22 d october 2003 2 introduction nonionizing radiations nir encompass the long wavelength 100 nm, low photon energy dec 07, 2015 radiation exists all around us, from both natural and manmade sources, and is in two forms. This radiation can come in the form of gamma or xrays that.
Classical sterilization techniques using saturated steam under pressure or hot air are the most reliable and should be used whenever possible. Aea technology qsa american association of physicists in medicine. Transmission is in the form of waves but waveparticle duality under quantum physics. Ionizing radiation, flow of energy in the form of atomic and subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that is capable of freeing electrons from an atom, causing the atom to become charged or ionized. This part of iso 117 describes requirements that, if met, will provide a radiation sterilization process intended to sterilize medical devices, that has appropriate microbicidal activity. Ionizing radiation is a form of radiation with sufficient energy to remove electrons from their atomic or molecular orbital shells in the tissues they penetrate borek 1993. Proceedings of the international conference on nonionizing radiation at uniten icnir2003 electromagnetic fields and our health 20th n 22 d october 2003 2 introduction nonionizing radiations nir encompass the long wavelength 100 nm, low photon energy, discusses radiation sterilization. Risk management for gamma radiation sterilization keywords. Risks of using sterilization by gamma radiation international. In the context of our work here, we focus on the most common approach of sterilization, i. One of the main advantages of sterilizing heat sensitive pharmaceutical preparations by x and gamma radiation lies in the ability of these ionizing radiations to. Other sterilization methods include filtration, ionizing radiation gamma and electronbeam radiation, and gas ethylene oxide, formaldehyde. This is why its so useful to us in terms of sterilization. Doris c macclelland, rn sterilization by ionizing radiation ionizing radiation for sterilization is an established procedure in industry for the processing of medical products.
Ionizing and non ionizing radiation study guide radiation energy emitted from a body or source that is transmitted through an intervening medium or space and absorbed by another body. Commercial radiation sterilization has now been used for more than 50 years. Radiation sterilization sterilization can be achieved using electromagnetic radiation, such as electron beams, xrays, gamma rays, or irradiation by subatomic particles. To avoid induced radioactivity, which may appear if the gamma ray energy is higher than 5 mev or the energy of the fast electrons exceeds 10 mev, it is prohibited to use for sterilization radiation characterized by. Both types of ionizing radiation have been used commercially for sterilization, and they have. Ast standards of practice for ionizing radiation exposure in the perioperative setting the following standards of practice were researched and authored by the ast education and professional standards committee and have been approved by the ast board of directors. Foods can be sterlised by passing gamma radiation through. Gas sterilization is still in use today and is a frequently used method of sterilization. Take a look at the chart below to get a good visual of the different types of electronics that emit ionizing and nonionzing radiation. In the context of sterilization, ionizing radiation is a. Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy so that during an interaction with an atom, it can remove tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, causing the atom to become charged or ionized. Trends in radiation sterilization of health care products. However, a number of essential radiobiological details pertinent to the application of radiation as a sterilization.
The energy range ch aracteristic of ionizing radiation begins at about ev and reaches its upper limit at ab out 30 mev. The whole production process, with radiation sterilization as the last step, has to be validated. There are 2 general types of radiation used for sterilization, ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiation. This process utilizes the lethal effect of various forms of radiation as a means of microbial destruction. One way in which sterilization by way of irradiation may occur is when ionizing radiation is used. Ionizing radiation includes the more energetic end of the electromagnetic spectrum and subatomic particles. Icnirp was established to advance non ionizing radiation protection for the benefit of people and the environment. Any incidents that have occurred in the past are documented and thoroughly analyzed to determine root cause and improvement potential. Nonionizing radiations sources, biological effects.
Though the ability of ionizing radiation to kill bacteria had been observed. For sterilization purposes the radiations of practical importance arc highenergy electrons, which are negatively charged, and gamma rays which can be regarded as electro magnetic radiation and neutral. Stability and stabilization of polymers under irradiation. Sterilization by gamma irradiation semantic scholar. Commercial radiation sterilization has been used for already more than half century. These ionizations, received in sufficient quantities over a period of time, can result in tissue damage and disruption of cellular function. The radiation dose is determined by the initial microbial state of the product and the sterilization assurance. Ionizing radiation ionising radiation is radiation, traveling as a particle or electromagnetic wave, that carries sufficient energy to detach electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby ionizing an atom or a molecule. Although considered less dangerous than ionizing radiation, overexposure to nonionizing radiation can cause health issues. In some cases, however, this ionizing radiation will damage the food itself changing the flavour, texture, destroying vitamins, so gamma sterilization. Radiation is classified as being either non ionizing or ionizing. The use of ionizing radiation for sterilizing healthcare products has been steadily increasing since its introduction in 1950s. Difference between ionizing and nonionizing radiation emf. Food irradiation the application of ionizing radiation to food is a technology that improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and.
Radiation sterilization journal of clinical pathology. Ionising radiation sterilization ankur choudhary print question forum no comments sterilisation by this method is achieved by exposure of the product to ionizing radiation in the form of gamma radiation from a suitable radioisotopic source such as cobalt 60 or cesium 7 or of a beam of electrons energized by a suitable electron accelerator. Radiation sterilization is used for packaging and process. Sterilization with ionizing radiation inactivates microorganisms very efficiently and, when used for product wrapping, ensures that healthcare products are safe and can be relied upon. Grains are important dietary components, providing many nutrients including vitamins, minerals, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Ionizing radiation is the use of short wavelength, highintensity radiation to destroy microorganisms. Ionizing radiation became known at the turn of the century and its biological effects, including the ability to kill bacteria, were soon established. Lets take a look at some examples of nonionizing radiation and the safety issues surrounding them.
Sterilization by gamma irradiation 175 presterilized product. Risk management for gamma radiation sterilization author. Pdf various aspects of radiation sterilization were discussed with emphasis on radiation dosimetry. Difference between ionizing and nonionizing radiation. Presently radiation treatment is an essential part of the manufacturing processes for nearly half of all singleuse medical devices, such as bandages, gloves, lab ware, syringes, procedural kits, and many other equipment. Ionizing radiation of primary interest includesarays, xrays,brays, electron beams and grays. This radiation can come in the form of gamma or xrays that react with dna resulting in a damaged cell. Collection of the guidelines on limiting exposure to nonionizing radiation and statements on special applications. Todays market dynamics using industrial electron beam, xray and gamma ray technologies are changing approaches to radiation sterilization, including.
Ionizing radiation is made up of energetic subatomic particles, ions or atoms moving at high speeds usually greater than 1% of the speed of light, and electromagnetic waves on the highenergy. It has replaced other techniques be cause of its reliability, economy, and freedom in packaging. Disposables such as plastic syringes, infusion sets, catgut sutures, catheters, gloves, and adhesive dressings before use. The major method in use for radiation sterilization is gamma irradiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation is currently the method of choice for rendering insects reproductively sterile for areawide integrated pest management awipm programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique sit. Guideline for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities 2008 sterilization by ionizing radiation, primarily by cobalt 60 gamma rays or electron accelerators, is a lowtemperature sterilization method that has been used for a number of medical products e. Earlier, a minimum dose of 25 kgy was routinely applied for many medical. This article focuses on gamma irradiation, which is most commonly used for sterilization purposes. In 2018, the lowtemperature sterilization segment showed growth, however, the ionizing radiation sterilization segment was expected to grow at the highest cagr through 2025. The proper use of these methods is regulated and monitored by world and national safety organizations.