Physics for Radiation Protection: A Handbook

A highly practical reference for health physicists and other professionals, addressing practical problems in radiation protection, this new edition has been completely revised, updated and supplemented by such new sections as log-normal distribution and digital radiography, as well as new chapters on internal radiation dose and the environmental transport of radionuclides.
Designed for readers with limited as well as basic science backgrounds, the handbook presents clear, thorough and up-to-date explanations of the basic physics necessary. It provides an overview of the major discoveries in radiation physics, plus extensive discussion of radioactivity, including sources and materials, as well as calculational methods for radiation exposure, comprehensive appendices and more than 400 figures. The text draws substantially on current resource data available, which is cross-referenced to standard compendiums, providing decay schemes and emission energies for approximately 100 of the most common radionuclides encountered by practitioners. Excerpts from the Chart of the Nuclides, activation cross sections, fission yields, fission-product chains, photon attenuation coefficients, and nuclear masses are also provided. Throughout, the author emphasizes applied concepts and carefully illustrates all topics using real-world examples as well as exercises.
A much-needed working resource for health physicists and other radiation protection professionals.

A highly practical resource for health physicists and other professionals in radiation protection. The new edition has been completely revised and updated. New chapters were added on internal radiation dose and the environmental behavior of radionuclides, as well as a new section on log-normal distribution of environmental parameters.

Designed for readers with limited as well as basic science backgrounds, the handbook presents clear, thorough and up-to-date explanation of radiation physics and the major discoveries that underpin it. Extensive discussion is provided of radioactivity, including sources, materials and decay schemes for about 100 of the most common radionuclides encountered by practitioners. The text emphasizes practical calculations for radiation sources and levels in the workplace and the environment, and presents methods, including shielding, for modifying them. Comprehensive appendices and more than 400 figures are provided for such calculations; these are based on current resource data. Excerpts from the Chart of the Nuclides, activation cross sections, fussion yields, fussion-product chains, photon attenuation coefficients, and nuclear masses are also provided. Real-world examples and exercises demonstrate concepts and their use.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Marcum D. Martz, B.S., CHP(Medical College of Wisconsin)
Description:This review of atomic and nuclear physics to internal dosimetry and radiation protection is a hefty book at over 800 pages, flush with illustrations and calculus-based equations.
Purpose:The second edition was written (according to the author) to correct some of the errors in the first edition and to serve as a fundamental text in a master's level health physics program. A solid text of this type is needed, since the other two major texts in this field are less calculus-based. On that basis, a health physics graduate student is well served.
Audience:While the book is aimed at graduate students, practicing health physicists will find this an excellent reference or refresher. The author is certainly a credible authority in all of the topics covered.
Features:The book begins with a review of atomic and nuclear physics, progresses to radiation and interactions, then gives an overview of each of the main disciplines of health physics: shielding, dosimetry, environmental analysis, and detection and measurement, and finishes with a look at diagnostic x-ray medical physics. Notable are the ample appendixes, listing far greater data than seen in comparable texts. Perhaps one of its shortcomings is that it may try to cover too much territory.
Assessment:This is a very good text on basic health physics. Books such this one, Cember's Introduction to Health Physics, 3rd edition (McGraw-Hill, 1996), and Turner's Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection, 2nd edition (John Wiley & Sons, 1995), have been used in the classroom and by health physicists studying for board exams. Compared to the latter two, Martin's book provides greater detail and a more in-depth approach to the subject. He does, however, offer fewer problems at the end of each chapter. Students and those studying for boards are known to solve every problem in these texts, and some may find too few to their liking. Maybe a companion volume of problem sets in the future?

JAMES E. MARTIN, PhD, CHP, is Associate Professor (Emeritus) at the University of Michigan where he has done research and teaching on environmental and public health aspects of radiation with an emphasis on radiation physics since 1982. He also served 25 years (1957-81) with the U.S. Public Health Service and Environmental Protection Agency, doing environmental assessments of radioactive materials and of protection standards.

His doctorate is in Radiological Health. Professor Martin is certified in Health Physics by the American Board of Health Physics and has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers and numerous articles and reports. Advisory committee memberships include two National Academy of Science committees, the Science Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy.