Background radiation accumulation and lower limit of detection in thermoluminescent beta-gamma dosimeters used by the centralized external dosimetry system
A value for average background radiation'' of 0.75 mR/week has been determined from a total of 1680 thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD's) exposed in 70 houses for periods up to one year. The distribution of results indicates a rather large variation among houses, with a few locations exhibiting backgrounds double the general average. Some discrepancies in the short-term background accumulation of TLD's have been explained as being due to light leakage through the dosimeter cases. In addition the lower limit of detection (L{sub D}) for deep and shallow dose equivalents has been determined for these dosimeters. The L{sub D} for occupational exposure depends strongly on the time a dosimeter is exposed to background radiation in the field. The L{sub D} can vary from a low of 2.4 mrem for high energy gamma rays when the background accumulation period is less than a few weeks to values as high as 66 mrem for uranium beta particles when background has been allowed to accumulate for more than 21 weeks.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5948905
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-11995; ON: DE92005027
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
BACKGROUND RADIATION
VARIATIONS
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
LIMITING VALUES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
RADIATION DOSES
DOSEMETERS
DOSES
LUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
RADIATIONS
440102* - Radiation Instrumentation- Radiation Dosemeters
560101 - Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies- Radiation Effects- Dosimetry & Monitoring- (1992-)