1.3 THE USES OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES EMITTING IONISING RADIATION 1.3.1 Main industrial applications In industry, electrical devices emitting ionising radiation are used mainly in non‑destructive testing, where they replace devices containing radioactive sources. Graphs 3A and 3B (see previous page) show the number of facilities using electrical devices generating ionising radiation in the listed applications under the licensing, registration or notification systems respectively. They illustrate the diversity of these applications and their development over the last five years. This development is closely related to the regulatory changes which have gradually created a new system of licensing or notification, and more recently registration (see point 2.4.2), concerning the use of these devices. At present, measures to bring the professionals concerned into compliance are very widely engaged in many activity sectors. The electrical devices emitting ionising radiation are chiefly X‑ray generators. They are used in industry for non‑destructive structural analyses (analysis techniques such as tomography, diffractometry, also called X‑ray crystallography, etc.), checking the quality of weld beads or inspecting materials for fatigue (in aeronautics in particular). These devices, which work using the principle of X‑ray attenuation, are also used as industrial gauges (measurement of drum filling, thickness measurement, etc.), inspection of goods containers or luggage and also the detection of foreign bodies in foodstuffs. The increase in the number of types of device available on the market can be explained more particularly by the fact that when possible, they replace devices containing radioactive sources. The advantages of this technology with regard to radiation protection are linked in particular to the total absence of ionising radiation when the equipment is not in use. Their utilisation does nevertheless lead to worker exposure levels that are comparable with those resulting from the use of devices containing radioactive sources. Baggage inspection Ionising radiation is used constantly in security screening checks, whether for the systematic verification of baggage or to determine the content of suspect packages. The smallest and most widely used devices are installed at the inspection and screening checkpoints in airports, in museums, at the entrance to certain buildings, etc. The devices with the largest inspection tunnel areas are used for screening large baggage items and hold baggage in airports, as well as for air freight inspections. These devices are supplemented by tomographs, which give a series of series of cross‑sectional images of the object being examined. The irradiation zone inside these appliances is sometime delimited by doors, but most often simply by one or more lead curtains. X‑ray body scanners This application is mentioned for information only, since the X‑ray scanners are not currently used for security checks on people in France (in application of Article L. 1333‑18 of the Public Health Code). Some experiments have been carried out in France using non‑ionising imaging technologies (millimetre waves). Inspection of consumer goods The use of devices for detecting foreign bodies in certain consumer products has developed over the last few years, such as for detecting unwanted items in food products or cosmetics. X‑ray diffraction analysis Research laboratories are making increasing use of small devices of this type, which are self‑shielded. Experimental devices used for X‑ray diffraction analysis can however be made up from parts obtained from various suppliers (goniometer, sample holder, tube, detector, high‑voltage generator, control console, etc.) and assembled by the experimenters themselves. X‑ray fluorescence analysis Portable X‑ray fluorescence devices are used for the analysis of metals and alloys. Measuring parameters These devices, which operate on the principle of X‑ray attenuation, are used as industrial gauges for measuring fluid levels in cylinders or drums, for detecting leaks, for measuring thicknesses or density, etc. Irradiation treatment More generally used for performing irradiations, the self‑shielded devices exist in several models that sometimes differ only in the size of the self‑shielded chamber, while the characteristics of the X‑ray generator remain the same. Radiography for checking the quality of weld beads or for the fatigue inspection of materials is detailed in point 3.1.1. 1.3.2 Veterinary diagnostic radiology In 2023, the profession counted 20,844 veterinary surgeons, about 20,000 non‑veterinarian employees and 6,625 veterinary facilities. These facilities increasingly belong to large groups, sometimes set up as a network grouping several hundred veterinary practices, thereby allowing the sharing of resources between facilities. This trend goes hand in hand with the tendency for veterinary surgeons to no longer necessarily want to own their own practice. Veterinary surgeons use diagnostic radiology devices for purposes similar to those used in human medicine. Veterinary diagnostic radiology activities essentially concern pets: ∙ some 5,000 veterinary facilities in France have at least one diagnostic radiology device; ∙ about one hundred computed tomography scanners are used in veterinary applications; ∙ other practices drawn from the medical sector are also implemented in specialised centres: scintigraphy, brachytherapy, external‑beam radiotherapy and interventional radiology. The treatment of large animals (mainly horses) requires the use of more powerful devices installed in specially equipped premises (radiography of the pelvis, for example) and portable X‑ray generators, used indoors – whether in dedicated premises or not – or outdoors. In order to better ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, ASN introduced a notification system in 2009 for what were termed “pet‑care activities” involving less serious radiation risks (see point 2.4.2). This simplification has led to regularisation of the administrative situation of a growing number of veterinary facilities (see Graph 4 next page). To continue grading the regulatory requirements to the radiation exposure risks, all activities using electrical devices emitting X-rays used for veterinary diagnostic radiology come under the registration system (see point 2.4.2), with the exception of pet‑care activities which remain eligible for the notification system. Consequently, only a few high‑risk activities (brachytherapy, external‑beam radiotherapy and interventional radiology) stemming from the medical sector are still subject to licensing. 246 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 • 08 • Sources of ionising radiation and their industrial, veterinary and research applications
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