Risk of Radiation in Radiography (X-Ray)

Are you interested in Radiography, being an X-ray tech, but are concerned about the risk of radiation exposure? You are not alone in this fear, but we are pleased to tell you that you are at no additional risk of radiation poisoning by working with X-rays!

At City College we take every precaution to minimize excessive exposure to radiation. We utilize the concepts of “ALARA,” which stands for “As Low As Reasonably Achievable,” which focuses on Time, Distance, and Shielding to curtail radiation exposure. Additionally, all students and staff who have any chance of radiation exposure are equipped with a dosimeter device that monitors radiation for them while at clinical sites.

Time

Utilizing ALARA, “time” means to minimize your time exposed to radiation or near a radioactive source. This means only spending time near a device with active radiation for as long as it takes to get your job done, while working as quickly as possible, and then promptly leaving the area. ASRT (The American Society of Radiologic Technologists) goes further into this in their Practice Standards for Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy.

Distance

“Distance” refers to your physical proximity to a radiation source. Complying with the principles of ALARA, try to maintain as much physical distance from active radiation sources as possible. The farther you are from active radiation, the lower the radiation dose you will receive will be.

Shielding

“Shielding” means to use some kind of guard between you and the source of radiation. Depending on the kind of radiation, the most effective material for a shield may vary. A good example of this is the lead vest you wear when getting an x-ray at the dentist. The purpose of that vest is to shield your vital organs from unnecessary radiation.

Dosimeter

Dosimeters are small devices that clip onto a person’s clothes and monitor their exposure to radiation. City College utilizes Optically Stimulated Luminesces Dosimeters which are extremely effective at monitoring the dose of radiation exposure someone has been exposed to. It does this using the filter it contains that detects different types of radiation. All students and staff at City College who may be exposed to any kind of radiation wear one and have it evaluated on a monthly basis for early detection. It is recommended dosimeters be checked every 1-3 months but at City College we are cautious about the safety of the staff and students, so we strive for the earliest detection possible.

We are also pleased to note that students and staff would not have increased radiation exposure in the City College school building as we do not allow active x-ray machines or radiation on site, for the safety of all the people on campus.

We have at least one upper staff member certified as Radiation Safety Officer, which involves attending a conference and training in Radiation Safety hosted by Columbia University.

All of this is to say that, while all people on earth are exposed to some forms of radiation (cosmic from the sun, terrestrial from elements in the earth, consumer devices, etc.), there is no excess risk of radiation poisoning from working in the field of Radiography and that working as a radiographer is not a high-risk profession.

So if you are interested in learning more about our Radiologic Technology program, please visit our program page or go straight to apply and get started with our next cohort!