Publications of B. R. Orton

Risk perception by industrial radiographers: Hungary and the UK compared

Perceptions of risks from two groups of industrial radiographers, one from Hungary, (n = 45) and from the United Kingdom, (n = 29) were compared by the psychometric method. The comparison was made because both groups were at risk for high doses of ionizing radiation. We found the groups had similar demographic profiles but poor socio-economic conditions of Hungarians were associated with higher levels of emotional distress. Correlation HU-UK for personal and general risks were at a significant level for topics that included lifestyle and radiation risks. Perceptions of risks from radiation were small except for large personal risk from East European nuclear power plants. Knowledge of radiation risk intranationally was correlated positively with personal risk for UK radiographers and negatively for Hungarians. However, average overall risk perceptions from the same topic list for all radiographers did not differ significantly from a group (n = 1461) of UK citizens, though radiographer's risks from radiation were considerably greater. As a new lifesaving intervention it was proposed that radiation risk reduction could be achieved by genetic testing.

Determination of atomic local order in thyroid hormones by extended x-ray absorption fine structure {EXAFS} for radiation dose estimates

Dosimetry from 125I emitting Auger electrons in the follicles of the thyroid will improve when their complete interaction with the molecular structure about the Auger emitting atoms is known to Angstrom distances. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) can provide this information. EXAFS experiments gave intermolecular and intramolecular distance for pure solid L-thyroxine (T4) (C15H11I4NO4) using a model based on crystalline T4 hydrochloride monohydrate (C15H11I4NO4HCl.H2O). For a solution of L-thyroxine the structure consists of the intramolecular distances found for T4 and an additional shell of four carbon atoms distances of 2.01 Å. Atomic density functions from Fourier transformed EXAFS measurements are suitable for estimating very short range interactions of Auger electrons in thyroid thyroglobulin over a radial distance of 7.71 Å. Examination of density functions provided a plausible argument for the difference in biological effect between 131I and 125I in the thyroid.Dosimetry from 125I emitting Auger electrons in the follicles of the thyroid will improve when their complete interaction with the molecular structure about the Auger emitting atoms is known to Angstrom distances. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) can provide this information. EXAFS experiments gave intermolecular and intramolecular distance for pure solid L-thyroxine (T4) (C15H11I4NO4) using a model based on crystalline T4 hydrochloride monohydrate (C15H11I4NO4HCl.H2O). For a solution of L-thyroxine the structure consists of the intramolecular distances found for T4 and an additional shell of four carbon atoms distances of 2.01 angstroms. Atomic density functions from Fourier transformed EXAFS measurements are suitable for estimating very short range interactions of Auger electrons in thyroid thyroglobulin over a radial distance of 7.71 angstroms. Examination of density functions provided a plausible argument for the difference in biological effect between 131I and 125I in the thyroid.

Orton BR, Ürge-Vorsatz D. Workshop Report on Harmonisation of East-West Radioactive Pollutant Measurements. In: Radiation and Society: Comprehending Radiation Risk. Society for Risk Analysis European Meeting. Stuttgart: International Atomic Energy Agency; 1994.

XANES and EXAFS investigation of sd hybrid bonds in alloys of gold with gallium, germanium and tin through the solid-liquid transition

The XANES for the Au LIII edge in solid Au and AuGa alloys have been measured using synchrotron radiation. The excess white line areas in the alloys have been compared with the same region of pure Au to give the d-state charge transfer from Au to Ga. It is in good agreement with values published for an AuAl alloy. Backtransfer for s-electrons from Ga to Au is evident from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and confirms an sd hybrid bond in this alloy system. On melting, this bond persists in the molten state, but with diminished effect which is evident from the reduced coordination number obtained from EXAFS. A similar bond is found in molten AuSn, but not in an AuGe alloy. © 1993.