Image processing technique (IPT) to determine radiation shielding

Radiation has been existed since from the beginning of the universe due to the long half-life of the radionuclides. Technological development can produce an extra radiation to environment. Both natural and man made radiation is called background radiation and it is important to be protected from this radiation. There are three main ways to be protected, namely: time, distance and shielding. Although lead is a standard radiation shielding material, concrete is one of the main materials used in construction building construction. Besides there are different ways to test radiation shielding properties of materials, in this study an alternative way has been proposed. Here the mass attenuation coefficients (mu/rho) of three different types of concretes and lead have been estimated by processing imaged roentgen film. The obtained results were compared with the calculation obtained using XCOM. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.