Apparatuses and methods employing multiple layers for attenuating ionizing radiation

A radiation shield comprising a radiation attenuating layer, comprising:

• a first sublayer comprising a first radiation attenuating material comprising a salt of a first elemental species having a first atomic number;
• and
• a second sublayer comprising a second radiation attenuating material comprising a salt of a second elemental species having a second atomic number, the second atomic number being higher than the first atomic number;
• wherein the first sublayer is configured to attenuate a first range of energies of ionizing radiation and the second sublayer is configured to attenuate a second range of energies of ionizing radiation, and wherein all the radiation attenuating materials in the radiation attenuating layer are salts of an elemental species.

A method for attenuating ionizing radiation, comprising:

• positioning a radiation shield between a source of ionizing radiation and a subject to be shielded from the ionizing radiation, the radiation shield comprising a radiation attenuating layer, comprising:
• a first sublayer comprising a first radiation attenuating material comprising a salt of a first elemental species having a first atomic number;
• and
• a second sublayer comprising a second radiation attenuating material comprising a salt of a second elemental species having a second atomic number, the second atomic number being higher than the first atomic number;
• wherein the first sublayer is configured to attenuate incident ionizing radiation emanating from the source of ionizing radiation, and the second sublayer is configured to attenuate secondary ionizing radiation emanating from the first sublayer, and wherein all the radiation attenuating materials in the radiation attenuating layer are salts of an elemental species;
• and
• orienting the radiation shield such that the first sublayer is closer to the source of ionizing radiation than the second sublayer.