Medical physicist student answering questions

Hi folks!

I wonder if you all are interested in having someone to answer some of the questions you might have regarding ionizing radiation, detection /measurement and medical applications here at the forum.

Im a Medical Physicist student, heading for a Master's degree in medical physics. Im currently on my third year out of five and during these years I will cover most of the topics regaring the wide span of radiation and its applications.
The program is controlled by the provincial government in Sweden and thus tightly controlled with high demands. The degree culminates in a professional certificate and title. In Sweden it requires a qualified medical physicists to carry out most of the training, certification, safety and much more regarding radiation.
I recently started courses covering Interactions between ionizing radiation and matter, Production & Accelerators, Detectors, and I will soon start a course about Dosimetry.

Im by far no expert but I have acces to ALOT of litterature covering all thinkable topics of both Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. I also have the possibility to discuss topics and questions with proffessors and older students in the faculty.

So if there is a interest perhaps we could have a sticky or something where I (and others) try to answer questions that you all have

This I really appreciate.

Carl

Great. Thanks for offering this service.

In Sweden the authorities claims that there is no need for people aged 40 and over to take iodine tablets after a NPP disaster since those people do not collect the dangerous iodine that might be released during a NPP breakdown.
Hopefully this descission is taken with some sort of analysis but what type of study might have been performed and when and where?

What is so magic with the age 40, why not 38 ½ or 43?

Carl

Interesting question!
As stated this is true. An adult person doesn't accumulate iodine in the thyroid. As for fetuses, children and young people the accumulation of radioactive iodine can happend pretty quickly so this category needs to take iodine tablets in case of an NPP accident. I don't know which study lies behind this statement and the medical reason to why adults doesn't accumulate iodine. I will forward the question at the faculty first thing on Monday (weekend here in Sweden) and get back here.

Gamma-Man wrote:

In Sweden the authorities claims that there is no need for people aged 40 and over to take iodine tablets after a NPP disaster since those people do not collect the dangerous iodine that might be released during a NPP breakdown.
Hopefully this descission is taken with some sort of analysis but what type of study might have been performed and when and where?

What is so magic with the age 40, why not 38 ½ or 43?

Carl

Today I didnt get any other answer than what is already stated; there is a medical reason to why one dont need to take iodine pills once over 40. The science behind it I couldnt locate, I might have to try to ask a doctor. Why it is 40 is simply because the line has to be drawn somewhere, the age 40 is probably above the actual age where you stop acumulate iodine but there might be a span amongst a population so its safer to set a higher age than a lower. It would be interesting to know at what age other countries draws the line . I keep digging into this