The use of lead-free transparent 50BaO-(50-x)borosilicate-xBi2O3 glass system as radiation shields in nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine makes use of different gamma emitting radioactive sources which necessitates a reliable way of reducing unnecessary exposure of nuclear medicine personnel and the general public in the vicinity of these radioactive sources. Radiation shielding is one of the major ways through which the medical personnel and the public are protected from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. A material that combines transparency, non-toxicity and radiation shielding ability is of high interest presently in the medical environment. This work aims to determine the suitability of lead-free transparent 50BaO-(50-x)borosilicate-xBi(2)O(3) glass system for radiation shielding purposes at diagnostic nuclear medicine energies and to compare its properties with that of transparent lead glass and ordinary concrete. The results of this work show that while all the glass samples show comparable shielding properties with the lead glass, glass sample G5 is the best lead glass substitute. All the studied glasses are lighter than lead glass and showed better shielding properties than ordinary concrete. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.