DOSIMETERS

RADIATION MONITORING DEVICES

The principle:

• Physical & chemical effects produced by the radiation.

• Ionization
• Photographic effect
• Luminescence
• Scintillation
1. Ionization

Principle:

• Ionization in air by radiation.

Working:
THIMBLE IONIZATION CHAMBER
Geiger-Muller counter
Advantages:

• Most accurate method.

• Gives immediate information.

Disadvantages:

• No permanent record of exposure.

• No indication of the type of energy of the radiation.

• Not sensitive to low energy radiation.

• Fragile & easily damaged.

2. Photographic effect

Principle:

• The ability of radiation to blacken the photographic

film.

Application:

• Film badges.
3. Luminescence

Principle:

• The property of certain materials that emit light when stimulated by -

chemical/ electrical/ heat.

Application:

• TLD badges
Working:
4. Scintillation
Principle:

• Certain crystals - sodium iodide & cesium iodide, absorb radiation

& convert it to light.
Working:
 PERSONNEL DOSIMETER

• Monitor the individuals who are exposed to radiation during the course of their
work.
• Must for all occupationally exposed individuals.
• Mandatory to wear personnel dosimeter if the annual dose is greater than 1
mSv.
• Pocket dosimeter, the film badge or the thermoluminescent dosimeter.
• Radiation measurement by time-integrated dose, i.e. the dose summed over a

period of time, usually about 3 months.

• The dose is consequently stated as an estimate of the effective dose equivalent to

the whole body in mSv for the reporting period.

• Dosimeters used for personnel monitoring have dose measurement limit of

0.1–0.2 mSv (10–20 mrem).

Pocket dosimeter
1. Minometer/ Condensor type/ indirect reading type

Principle: ‘air wall’ ionization

Working:

• Insertion into a charger - voltage potential.

• Radiation penetrating the chamber causes the current to leak in proportion to the
radiation exposure.

• Reinsert into the charge reader - voltage drop is calibrated.

• 2 dosimeters are worn at a time.

• Lower of the two readings taken as more accurate.

2. Direct Reading Dosimeter

Principle: Gold Leaf Electroscope.

Working:

• Charging to 200V - quartz fiber is displaced electro statically.

• Fiber is viewed through a lens & focused on a scale.

• Exposure to radiation discharges the fiber, allowing it to return to the original

position.

• Can measure radiation up to 50 C/kg (200 mR).

TLD BADGE

CROCODILE CLIP

TRANSPARENT
PLASTIC
PERSONNEL NUMBER
NAME
RADIATION TYPE
PERIOD OF USE
Solid state detectors:
Thermo luminescent Detector

• Thermo luminescence is a process in which A thermo luminescence crystal is

irradiated, a very minute fraction of absorbed energy is stored in crystal lattice.

• The same energy can be recovered later as visible light and measured.

• The amount of energy of light can be calculated and is proportional to amount

of irradiated energy.
Some of commonly used TL phosphors are,

• 1) LiF 2) CaSo4 3) Al2O3 4) LiB4 O7 5) Dy (2Lithium tetra Borate)

• These phosphors provides electron holes due to their crystalline lattice

imperfection and they,

a. Traps the electrons holds for long period of time.

b. Emits light when electrons jump to ground state from excited state.
Principle and Working

• When these phosphors are irradiated the electrons in the valance band
get excited and they rise to conduction band( e- free to move).
• There exists an electron trap inside (due to crystalline lattice
imperfection) where e- gets trapped. Vacancy is created in the
conduction band.
• When heated the trapped electrons get sufficient energy to
escape from the trap and jump back to conduction band
radiatively.
• Luminescence is produced as a result of emission of energy.
• The intensity of emission of light is directly proportional to
Rate of electron escape.
 The arrangement for measuring the TL output Glow curve

• The irradiated material is placed in a heater cup or planchet, where it is heated for a
reproducible heating cycle.
• The emitted light is measured by a photomultiplier tube (PMT), which
converts light into an electrical current.
• The current is then amplified and measured by a recorder or a counter.
• As the temperature of the TL material exposed to radiation is increased, the probability of
releasing trapped electrons increases.
• The light emitted (TL) first increases, reaches a maximum value, and falls
again to zero.

• Because most phosphors contain a number of traps at various energy levels in the
forbidden band, the glow curve may consist of a number of glow peaks.
• The different peaks correspond to different "trapped" energy levels.
Working:
Few electrons
become trapped in
higher energy levels Light is collected
& measured by
photomultiplier
tube

Amount of light is
proportional to the
Energy is released in radiation dose (Sv)
the form of light
by heating 250C
Principle of Thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD)
TLD analyzer

Glow curve
Wearing of the badge:

• Monitored every 2 weeks/ 4 weeks.

• If accidental high exposure be suspected - should be immediately processed.

Advantages:

• Good for measuring any type and energy of radiation. e.g. X- rays, gamma

radiations.

• Continuous assessment is possible.

• Provides a permanent record of dose received.

• Simple, robust & relatively inexpensive.

Disadvantages:

• They are insensitive to radiation below 0.1 mSv.

• They cannot be worn longer than 4 weeks duration at a stretch due to fogging.

• Accuracy is only 10 to 50%.

• The results are dependent on processing, strength, type of developer used &

speed of the film used.

• No immediate indication of exposure- all information is retrospective.

Wearing of the badge:
Advantages:
• Can measure exposures to individuals as low as 1.3 C/kg (5 mR).

• Can withstand certain degree of heat, humidity, & pressure.

• Crystals are reusable.

• Instantaneous readings are possible if the department has a TLD analyzer.

• Read out simple and quick.

• Can store dose over long period of time.

Disadvantages:

• Not cost effective.

• Read out is destructive, giving no permanent record.

• Results cannot be checked or reassessed.