Dose received by occupationally exposed workers at a nuclear medicine department

Journal Article · Tue Oct 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4764602· OSTI ID:22075690

Avila, O; Sanchez-Uribe, N A; Rodriguez-Laguna, A; Medina, L A; Estrada, E; Buenfil, A E; Brandan, M E ^[1]

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1. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, AP 18-1027, 11801, DF (Mexico)

Personal Dose Equivalent (PDE) values were determined for occupational exposed workers (OEW) at the Nuclear Medicine Department (NMD) of 'Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia' (INCan), Mexico, using TLD-100 thermoluminescent dosemeters. OEW at NMD, INCan make use of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Radionuclides associated to a pharmaceutical compound used at this Department are {sup 131}I, {sup 18}F, {sup 68}Ga, {sup 99m}Tc, {sup 111}In and {sup 11}C with main gamma emission energies between 140 and 511 keV. Dosemeter calibration was performed at the metrology department of 'Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares' (ININ), Mexico. Every occupational worker used dark containers with three dosimeters which were replaced monthly for a total of 5 periods. Additionally, control dosemeters were also placed at a site free of radioactive sources in order to determine the background radiation. Results were adjusted to find PDE/day and estimating annual PDE values in the range between 2 mSv (background) and 9 mSv. The mean annual value is 3.51 mSv and the standard deviation SD is 0.78 mSv. Four of the 16 OEW received annual doses higher than the average +1 SD (4.29 mSv). Results depend on OEW daily activities and were consistent for each OEW for the 5 studied periods as well as with PDE values reported by the firm that performs the monthly service. All obtained values are well within the established annual OEW dose limit stated in the {sup R}eglamento General de Seguridad Radiologica{sup ,} Mexico (50 mSv), as well as within the lower limit recommended by the 'International Commission on Radiation Protection' (ICRP), report no.60 (20 mSv). These results verify the adequate compliance of the NMD at INCan, Mexico with the norms given by the national regulatory commission.

• OSTI ID: 22075690
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1494, Issue 1; Conference: 12. Mexican symposium on medical physics, Oaxaca (Mexico), 16-19 Mar 2012; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
CALIBRATION
CARBON 11
DIAGNOSIS
DISEASES
DOSE LIMITS
FLUORINE 18
GALLIUM 68
INDIUM 111
IODINE 131
KEV RANGE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PERSONNEL
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS
TECHNETIUM 99
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSIMETRY