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Radiation Measurements

This document discusses various methods for measuring radiation in occupational settings. It describes why radiation should be monitored, including to identify existing levels, ensure controls are effective, and confirm regulatory compliance. Common radiation types that are monitored include gamma radiation using dose rate meters or personal dosimeters, radon and its decay products using passive or active monitors, and surface contamination using contamination monitors or wipe tests. The document provides examples of sampling locations, equipment, and calibration procedures to help ensure accurate radiation measurements are obtained.

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Omar Suarez
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69 views

Radiation Measurements

This document discusses various methods for measuring radiation in occupational settings. It describes why radiation should be monitored, including to identify existing levels, ensure controls are effective, and confirm regulatory compliance. Common radiation types that are monitored include gamma radiation using dose rate meters or personal dosimeters, radon and its decay products using passive or active monitors, and surface contamination using contamination monitors or wipe tests. The document provides examples of sampling locations, equipment, and calibration procedures to help ensure accurate radiation measurements are obtained.

Uploaded by

Omar Suarez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Radiation Measurements

Content

• Introduction
• Why measure ?
• Gamma radiation
• Radionuclides in airborne dust
• Radon (222Rn and 220Rn) and their progeny
• Surface contamination
• Quality control
• Key messages
Why monitor?

▪ To identify existing levels

▪ To confirm that the radiation controls are in place and effective

▪ To identify elevated levels of radiation that require control

▪ To confirm other measurements that may be occurring (eg;

regulatory check)

▪ For investigative purposes

▪ For licence conditions

▪ For dose assessment and epidemiology


When to monitor?

• As part of baseline characterisation

• As part of routine or regular monitoring program

• Randomly

• When problems arise

• As required by regulatory agency or when requested by

workforce
Occupational Monitoring

• Monitor the exposure pathways

• Workers
– Gamma radiation exposure

– Inhalation of radionuclides in dust

– Inhalation of decay products of radon


and thoron

– Ingestion of radionuclides
General types of monitoring

• Personal
– Workers wear the monitor
– Portable and practicable
– May not be able to sample everyone

• Workplace
– Surveys in area
– Where personal monitoring in not practical
– Fixed locations (identifying trends)
– May be used for sampling a workgroup or activity
Gamma radiation

• NORM material emit gamma radiation and require


monitoring

• Documented survey strategies are required

• Portable instruments can be used for routine workplace


monitoring for external gamma radiation exposure

• Personal monitoring is carried out with active dosimeters


(e.g. during maintenance activities) or passive dosimeters
Gamma radiation

• Portable dose rate instruments:


– Used for workplace and environmental monitoring
– Dose rate can be displayed directly in μSv/h
– Instruments with sensitive probes are capable of
measuring down to background levels (0.05–0.1 μSv/h)
Gamma dose rate meters

▪ The detector characteristics must be chosen such that


the energy response matches the energy of the
radionuclides to be measured
▪ The detector must have a suitable response time to
match the rate at which the dose rate varies
▪ The detector must be calibrated for the gamma ray
energies of interest
▪ The detector must be sufficiently rugged for the
environment in which it is to be used.
▪ Some instruments can identify the radionuclides present
Example of Instruments Energy Response
(From manufacturers documentation)
Gamma dose rate meters

▪ The instrument should be suitable for the application.


▪ An incorrect choice can lead to inaccurate or even
erroneous assessments of the external hazard.

▪ Many different types


o Gas filled detectors
o Ionisation chambers
o Proportional counters
o Geiger-Müller counters
o Scintillation counters
o Solid state detectors
Gamma dose rate meters

Survey monitors may have different scales:

• micro-Roentgens per hour (µR/hr)


• amount of ionisation in air
• micro-Gray per hour (µGy/h)
• absorbed dose in air
• micro-Sievert per hour (µSv/hr)
• equivalent dose
• counts per second/minute
Gamma dose rate meters –
Personal Monitoring

• Used for direct measurement of a workers exposure


• Integrates the dose rate over any period (for example, from
1 day up to 3 months)
• Can be attached to the clothing of the exposed worker
• Common types of dosimeter for exposure to NORM:
– Thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLDs)
– Optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs)
• Direct reading dosimeters for higher dose rates:
– Electronic dosimeters
Gamma dose rate meters –
Personal Monitoring
Radionuclides in airborne dust

▪ Airborne contamination can occur


wherever dry materials are handled or
processed
▪ Dust sampling involves taking a sample of
air through a filter medium
▪ The sample is then analyzed for
radionuclides
▪ Sampling needs to consider:

o The occupancy time in the workplace


o The mass concentration of dusts
o The radionuclide activity concentration
o The size distribution and inhalation
potential (sampler characteristics)
Types of Dust Sampling

Workplace Sampling:
• Locations where workers are working
• The frequency of sampling will depend on the level of dust
concentration and its variability
• May have fixed location sampling (for identifying trends)
Personal sampling:
• Allocation of sampler to a representative worker
• Consider number of workers involved in a task
• Consider tasks that contribute to exposure – dust
generation during work, job rotation, work shifts, special
exposures
• Individual work practices
• Location and time in the workplace.
Sampling in practice –
Locational sampling

Good Location
o Out of the way
o Good height (breathing zone height)
o Safe

Poor Location
o In the way
o Poor height
o Unsafe – workplace hazard
Types of sampling equipment

Static air samplers:


• Place at fixed locations
• Can be high volume or low volumes
sampler
• Indicator of workplace conditions

Personal air sampling:


• Provides measure of worker exposure
• Should be small and practical
Types of sampling equipment
Equipment for analysis
of dust samples
Sampling the right dust
Filter holders (sampling cassettes)
Radionuclides in airborne dust

DUST
Exercise: Where would you monitor dust?
Sampling equipment
Radon and Thoron

• Radon is a gas – and it is chemically inert


– If it is inhaled it does not accumulate in the lung
– Resulting dose is quite small
– Exposure occurs from the decay products present in the air
• Radon and thoron and transport mechanisms for the decay
products
• Consider other factors such as;
– Equilibrium factor
– Unattached fraction
– Particle size
• (Note that there is a more detailed lecture later)
Workplace radon progeny
concentrations are variable
Concentrations by Time (uJ/m3)
Concentrations by Time (uJ/m3)
Radon and Thoron Monitoring

• Passive monitoring
– Track etch
– Inexpensive and easy to use
– Can be used for personal, locational or
environmental
– Gives an average for the exposure period
• Active monitoring
– Air sampling (“radon sniffers”)
– Sensitive equipment usually
– Needs to be calibrated (radon chamber)
– Can give either exposure averages or real time
readings
Decay Progeny Monitoring

• Grab sampling
– Various techniques
• Take air sample and alpha count
• Rolle, Borak, Kusnetz, environmental Rolle
• Active monitoring
– Monitors that measure in real time
– Can be expensive, require calibration
– Able to differentiate between decay products
– Advantage is that monitoring identifies concentration
variations
Equipment
Measurement of radon

Radon monitoring in an underground mine using a portable


continuous radon monitor with pulse-counting ionization chamber detector
Surface contamination

▪ Identify areas of removeable and


non removeable contamination
▪ Monitor the actual surface
contamination or take a wipe test
for later analysis
▪ Wipe tests can be analysed for
different radionuclides
▪ Also used to ensure that plant and
equipment is free from
contamination
Measurement of surface
contamination

• Alpha monitors may unsuitable for NORM contaminated items,


especially when the surface is rough and/or non-flat:
– Limited penetrating ability of alpha particles
– Probe must be held within 5 mm of the contaminant layer
– Self-absorption within the contaminant layer
– The surface of the alpha probe is easily damaged
• Beta monitors are generally more suitable for NORM, but self-
absorption must still be taken into account
• Most beta detectors are sensitive to gamma radiation — care is
needed to ensure that ambient gamma is not misinterpreted as
contamination
• The radiological characteristics of the NORM contaminating layer
may have to be established in advance
Measurement of surface
contamination

Two examples of a surface contamination monitor


Measurement of surface
contamination

Contamination monitor with beta probe and alpha–beta dual probe


Instrument calibration
and maintenance

▪ For all measurement methods, instruments must


be calibrated regularly and traceable to
recognized national standards:
▪ Equipment should be maintained in good
working order
▪ Not only radiation instruments – also applies to
pumps, mass balances.
Practical guide for
radiation measurement

▪ Identify what measurements are to be taken


▪ Identify what instrument to use
▪ Pre-use check of any instruments.
▪ Ensure calibration
▪ Are there any special considerations – such as access
permits ?
▪ Make sure you are aware of any hazards or risks
▪ Check that personal protective equipment (PPE) is required
▪ Stow instruments and equipment securely and safely.
Practical guide for
radiation measurement

• Make sure you know how to use the instrument


• Check that it is calibrated
• Conduct regular instrument checks and minor maintenance (e.g.
battery changes) as required.
• Look and then take measurements at correct locations and times.
• Have some idea of what you are measuring
• Take a couple of measurements to ensure reliable data.
• If the results don't seem right, stop and work out why.
• Record data with the required precision, accuracy and units.
• Make notes of site conditions that might affect the data
Practical guide for
radiation measurement

▪ Record results in accordance with procedures

▪ Check that recorded outcomes are consistent with expectations.

▪ Compare results with relevant radiation limits and identify and

record any significant differences.

▪ Identify any issues as a result of the monitoring

▪ Identify any improvements that could be made.

▪ Maintain records that are complete, accurate, legible and secure.


Key Messages

• Many aspects to monitoring


• Different consideration for workplace and personal
monitoring
• Different considerations for the different types of
radiation
• Need to understand what you want to measure
• Need to understand what the instrument is measuring
• Instruments must be fit for purpose
• Many equipment options
• Only use calibrated and maintained equipment

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