What's New?
.	NRC Chairman Resigns
.	NAS Report on Future Workforce Needs
.	Hodes Award Nominations Request
.	Radiation Risks and Protective Actions
.	June Journal
.	IAEA Conference - Rad Protection in Medicine
.	HPS Mentoring Program Update
.	New Low-Level Waste Site Operational
.	May Newsletter
.	America's Nuclear Future Report

Upcoming Events
.	Canadian Radiation Protection Association Annual Meeting 27-30 May 2012 Halifax, Nova Scotia
.	ACS Undergrad Summer Schools 10 June - 20 July 2012
.	NRC Meeting Webcasts May-June 2012
.	57th Annual HPS Meeting 22-26 July 2012 Sacramento, CA
.	37th Annual Conference of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) 14-17 Oct 2012 Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour
.	International Conference on Radiation Shielding 2-7 Nov 2012 Nara, Japan

24 May 2012

Answer to Question #124 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Pregnancy and Radiation — Inherited (genetic) effects

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Can a chest x ray pose any danger to the ova of a nonpregnant woman? I'd appreciate any information you can give me. Thank you.

When a chest x ray is taken, only the chest is exposed to the radiation because the radiation beam from the x-ray machine is collimated. Accordingly the lower abdomen (containing the ovaries and other organs and tissues) are not exposed to any significant radiation. As a precaution, some patients request a lead apron to be worn around the lower abdomen.

Kenneth L. Mossman, PhD

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