Radiation and Health: Radioactive Materials Section

A look inside the Office of Radiation Protection at the Department of Health

Radiation is all around us.

This form of energy appears more in some places than others. It causes a disproportionate impact on populations based on where they are. Certain communities (based on race, ethnicity, gender, etc.) may be more at risk due to radiation exposure.

This year, we will share how the Department of Health’s Office of Radiation Protection helps keep all people in Washington, and our environment, safe and healthy. Earlier, we examined the X-ray Section. Today, we look inside the Office of Radiation Protection’s Radioactive Materials Section.

Radioactive materials are used in industrial, medical, and laboratory settings. We have teams that work in each of these settings to ensure users are following state and federal regulations. They are also ready to respond to radiation emergencies around the clock. We regulate schools, businesses, and other organizations that use radioactive materials. We also issue licenses and do inspections of how they are using the materials.

Industrial Program

Industry may use radioactive materials in the making of many products we buy and use. Ice cream, bandages, and smoke detectors are just some of the products that are made with the aid of radioactive materials. Our Industrial Program team members make sure radiation is used safely with a variety of consumer products.

A common use for radiation is to kill germs. Have you scraped your knee? Or got a small cut on your hand? Some companies use X-rays to sterilize the bandage you use to help keep your cuts clean as they heal.

Other household uses include some kinds of smoke detectors that use a small amount of radioactive material to detect whether there’s smoke in the air.

Construction crews use radiation to tell if the asphalt they add to a road or highway is the proper thickness.

Do you like ice cream? Some companies measure how much air they whip into the tasty treat with measuring tools that use radiation. These same tools help companies avoid overfilling soft drink bottles.

Medical Program

Radiation has medical uses beyond X-rays that our Medical Program team licenses and oversees.

Washington was one of the first states in the nation to license a promising new cancer treatment. This technique involves a little bit of radioactive material being implanted into a tumor. The radiation destroys the cancer cells and leaves the surrounding healthy tissue relatively unharmed. Our Radioactive Materials Section helped develop a way to license this new treatment. Radiation also is used to ease tumor-related pain. Radiation can shrink tumors and ease pressure on nerves and lessen overall pain.

Radiation can also be used to reduce scar tissue and help clear clogged blood vessels.

Some medical tests use radiation to diagnose diseases. If your doctor requested to test your blood, it’s possible radiation was used.

Laboratory Program

Our Laboratory Program team visits different sites like farms, health care settings, high schools, and universities to make sure people use radiation safely.

For example, archeologists use radiation to tell how old artifacts are. All living organisms absorb naturally occurring, radioactive carbon-14. After they die, they stop absorbing it. The carbon-14 starts to decay or break down. By testing how the carbon-14 breaks down, we can estimate the age of objects. Our Laboratory Program makes sure scientists and archeologists use the radiation safely. If not used properly, radiation can be unsafe.

Radiation also can be used to track things like pollution in the air and water as it travels through the environment. Scientists get a better understanding of how smoke from a fire in Oregon or British Columbia can end up in Washington with the use of radioactive particles.

We want everybody in Washington to respect radiation, and not fear it. We are here to ease your concerns. We also help our licensees follow the state and federal rules for the safe use of radioactive materials.

The Office of Radiation Protection works to protect the public’s health by ensuring exposure to radiation is as low as reasonably achievable. If you would like to learn more about the Radioactive Materials Program in the Department of Health’s Office of Radiation Protection, visit us online.

More Information

Information in this blog changes rapidly. Sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles. For more information from the Washington State Department of Health, visit doh.wa.gov.

Questions about COVID-19? Visit our COVID-19 website to learn more about vaccines and booster doses, testing, and more. You can also contact the Department of Health call center at 1–800–525–0127 and press # from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday — Sunday and observed state holidays. Language assistance is available.