For routine calibration of dosemeters used for environmental radiation monitoring, a low dose rate 137Cs gamma ray calibration field that fully satisfies the requirement of the ISO 4037 series was established in the Facility of Radiation Standards in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Two different methods were employed to determine the reference air kerma rate, namely a conventional ionisation chamber and a G(E) function method used a newly developed scintillation spectrometer. To fulfil the requirement of the ISO 4037 and suppress scattering of Cs gamma ray within the room as far as possible, a suitable lead collimator was introduced to limit the irradiation area at test points and placed at the middle height in an irradiation room with a grating floor. From measured results of de-convoluted photon fluence spectrum and the variation of evaluated reference air kerma rates between 1.0 m and 3.0 m from the centre of the source, gamma ray scattering from the room structures was found to be negligible. The reference air kerma rate at distances between1.0 m and 3.0 m could be then interpolated by simply considering the inverse square law of the distance and air attenuation. The resulting Cs gamma ray calibration field could provide ambient dose equivalent rates of 0.7-7.2 µSv h-1 for use with environmental radiation monitoring devices. Finally, we attempted to calibrate a widely used NaI(Tl) scintillation survey metre, obtaining a quite satisfactory calibration factor. These results also imply that such survey metres can be employed to monitor affected areas and assess the progress of decontamination, as they can provide appropriate measurements of the ambient dose equivalent rate.
Cesium Radioisotopes/analysis , Gamma Rays , Radiation Monitoring/instrumentation , Radiation Monitoring/standards , Scintillation Counting/instrumentation , Calibration , Humans , Monte Carlo Method , Radiation Monitoring/methods , Scintillation Counting/methods
As a consequence of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, all European countries have installed automatic dosimetry network stations as well as air sampling systems for the monitoring of airborne radioactivity. In Europe, at present, almost 5,000 stations measure dose rate values in nearly real time. In addition, a few hundred air samplers are operated. Most of them need extended accumulation times with no real-time capability. National dose rate data are provided to the European Commission (EC) via the EUropean Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP). In case of a nuclear emergency with transboundary implications, the EC may issue momentous recommendations to EU member states based on the radiological data collected by EURDEP. These recommendations may affect millions of people and could have severe economic and sociological consequences. Therefore, the reliability of the EURDEP data is of key importance. Unfortunately, the dose rate and activity concentration data are not harmonized between the different networks. Therefore, within the framework of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), 16 European institutions formed the consortium MetroERM with the aim to improve the metrological foundation of measurements and to introduce a pan-European harmonization for the collation and evaluation of radiological data in early warning network systems. In addition, a new generation of detector systems based on spectrometers capable of providing both reliable dose rate values as well as nuclide specific information in real time are in development. The MetroERM project and its first results will be presented and discussed in this article.
Databases, Factual , Radiation Monitoring/methods , Radiation Protection/methods , Radioactive Hazard Release/statistics & numerical data , Research/organization & administration , Safety Management/organization & administration , Database Management Systems/organization & administration , Europe , Models, Organizational , Radioactive Pollutants/analysis
The European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) has been organising dosimetry intercomparisons for many years in response to an identified requirement from individual monitoring services (IMS) for independent performance tests for dosimetry systems. The participation in intercomparisons gives IMS the opportunity to show compliance with their own quality management system, compare results with other participants and develop plans for improving their dosimetry systems. In response to growing demand, EURADOS has increased the number of intercomparisons for external radiation dosimetry. Most of these fit into the programme of self-financing intercomparisons for dosemeters routinely used by IMS. This programme is being coordinated by EURADOS working group 2 (WG2). Up to now, this programme has included four intercomparisons for whole-body dosemeters in photon fields, one for extremity dosemeters in photon and beta fields, and one for whole-body dosemeters in neutron fields. Other EURADOS working groups have organised additional intercomparisons including events in 2014 for eye-lens dosemeters and passive area dosemeters for environmental monitoring. In this paper, the organisation and achievements of these intercomparisons are compared in detail focusing on the similarities and differences in their execution.
Lens, Crystalline/radiation effects , Radiation Monitoring/methods , Radiation Protection/methods , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Europe , Humans , International Cooperation , Neutrons , Occupational Exposure/analysis , Photons , Radiation Dosage , Radiation Dosimeters , Whole-Body Counting
When using gamma-ray spectrometry performed deep underground, it is possible to measure 60Co activities down to 0.1 mBq in steel samples of some 100 g without any pre-concentration. It is thus still possible to measure 60Co induced by neutrons from the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima in pieces of steel collected at distances up to about 1200 m slant range. The results of non-destructive measurements of eight steel samples are compared with the 1986 Dose Re-Evaluation (DS86) model calculations.
26Al is routinely measured in meteorite samples by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). PTB participates in an international intercomparison between laboratories using AMS and gamma-ray spectrometry to improve the quality of such measurements. We performed gamma spectrometric measurements at the underground laboratory UDO using the GESPECOR software to calculate corrections for efficiency transfer, self-attenuation and coincidence summing. Four meteorite samples were measured for more than 30 days each but nevertheless, the uncertainty budgets are dominated by the uncertainties of the count rates.
