Traditionally, radiation shielding materials have for the most part been manufactured usinglead. From industrial and nuclear shielding to radiation therapy, lead found its way into mostspheres of shielding simply because its attenuating qualities made it the ‘material of choice’when it came to radiation protection. However, lead poses all kinds of health risks, andsevere cases of lead poisoning have also resulted in death. It seems particularlycounterintuitive to introduce the use of lead, a known toxic material, in use at hospitals andfor medical treatment, where one goes to receive health benefits and not to be exposed tofurther health risks. Given our increasing sensitivity towards the dangers of lead,there is agrowing demand for lead free shielding materials and we have several options to choosefrom when it comes to choosing radiation shielding equipment.

Lead Shielding

Lead (atomic number 82, symbol Pb) is a malleable, soft and corrosion-resistant metal thatcomes with a high density and is incredibly useful in terms of x-ray shielding and gamma-rayshielding. In order to transform lead into a shielding material, it is mixed with additives andbinders. This converts lead into a flexible vinyl sheet which is layered to achieve the desiredthickness and incorporated into different types of radiation shielding equipment. The mostcommon levels of lead protection include 0.25mm, 0.35mm and 0.

Lead Composites

Lead composites, or lead composite shielding, refers to a mixture of lightweight metals andlead. This proprietary mixture varies from one manufacturer to the other, but you canalways expect non-toxic high density materials such as tin, PVC vinyl and rubber to findtheir way into the blend. The biggest advantage of using a lead composite is that it is up to25% lighter when compared to regular lead shielding materials, despite offering the sameprotection against radiation. However, they still pose the same health risks as lead.

Lead Free ShieldingThe third and most important type is lead-free shielding, which is produced from a blend ofcomposite materials that eliminate the need for lead entirely without compromising onradiation protection. Leadfree shielding materials are created by mixing heavy metals suchas bismuth, antimony, tin and tungsten, metals with polymers. The biggest advantage thatthese materials have to offer is that they are entirely recyclable and unlike lead or leadcomposites, they don’t pose any health hazards.

Choosing Between the Three

Each of these core shielding materials has its own features and benefits. There mightbe a number of factors such as the frequency and length of the procedure worthconsidering when making your decision, but you always feel safer choosing a leadfree shielding alternative. After all, choosing a material which has its own healthhazards to protect you from the health hazards of radiation does sound counterintuitive!

So Can I Really Breathe Free?

Despite posing all kinds of health risks, radiation is commonly used in severalradiologic applications not only for diagnostics, but also for treating patients throughadvanced treatments. Modern-day applications are able to deal with radiationbetter, and this is largely due to the advent of radiation shielding materials. Whilethese materials have literally transformed the field of medicine and helped in savingcountless lives, the use of radiation isn’t entirely free from risks. Those dealing withradiation must understand how to protect the human body from radiation and alsoreceive the right training in preventing injuries to ensure patient safety.

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