Presidential Perspectives: Women's Views From the Top.

This paper presents the perspectives of past presidents of the Health Physics Society who also happen to be women. Only 6 out of 63 Society presidents have been women, and of these six, five are still living and briefly reflect on their experiences here, alongside a brief discussion of the first female president of the Society. These perspectives provide historical insight into the evolution and happenings of the Society as well as adding personal touches to the office of the president that hopefully will encourage junior Society members to consider serving.

Health Physics Society Comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Reform Task Force.

The Health Physics Society (HPS) provided comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on options to consider when developing an action plan for President Trump's Executive Order to evaluate regulations for repeal, replacement, or modification. The HPS recommended that the EPA reconsider their adherence to the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation risk calculations and improve several documents by better addressing uncertainties in low-dose, low dose-rate (LDDR) radiation exposure environments. The authors point out that use of the LNT model near background levels cannot provide reliable risk projections, use of the LNT model and collective-dose calculations in some EPA documents is inconsistent with the recommendations of international organizations, and some EPA documents have not been exposed to the public comment rule-making process. To assist in establishing a better scientific basis for the risks of low dose rate and low dose radiation exposure, the EPA should continue to support the "Million Worker Study," led by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement.

Radioactivity in cathode ray tubes.

While surveying used computer equipment out of a zone posted as a Contamination Area, 100% of the computer monitors surveyed had levels of radioactivity that were significantly above background. The radioactivity was primarily on the front face of the cathode ray tube and was not amenable to decontamination. Hot spots were found also along the edges and seals of the cathode ray tube. Similar surveys of computer monitors that were never in Contamination Areas confirmed that radioactivity was incorporated into the monitor. Surveys were made of recently manufactured television sets with similar results. Gamma spectroscopy indicates that the radioactivity is due to naturally occurring radioactive materials. Since most surveys of cathode ray tubes in the literature were made while the units were energized and indicated low-energy x-rays, the use of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the manufacture of cathode ray tubes has not been widely recognized. This paper presents the results of these surveys, the results of gamma spectroscopy, and a method for releasing existing computer equipment having naturally occurring radioactive materials.