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Dosimetry devices are used to measure an individual\u2019s exposure to radiation.\u00a0 Sometimes this is referred to as external dose.\u00a0 There are regulatory dose limits for the general public, and occupational workers.\u00a0 Federal guidance for emergency workers is included in state and local Radiological Emergency Plans.<\/p>\n
Ideally, dosimetry should measure one\u2019s radiation dose; however, the instrument measures all the radiation that it is exposed to.\u00a0 Some radiation passes through the person and is not absorbed by the body and does not contribute to the person\u2019s radiation dose.\u00a0 Unless one\u2019s exposure limit is exceeded, it is common practice to assume the dose is equal to the exposure recorded by the dosimeter.<\/p>\n
There are several kinds of dosimeters: Self-Reading Dosimeters (SRD), Personal Radiation Devices (PRD), Thermoluminescent badge dosimeters (TLD) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence badge dosimeters (OSLD).\u00a0 The SRD allows an individual to observe his exposure at any time.\u00a0 The device is a small tube, slightly larger in diameter than an ink pen.\u00a0 It is an ion chamber that has a charge on its plates similar to a capacitor.\u00a0 When it is exposed to radiation, the plates discharge in proportion to the amount of radiation.\u00a0 Sometimes static electricity or dropping the SRD will discharge the plates causing the needle to go off scale and the user might be concerned that he has been in an extremely high radiation field.\u00a0\u00a0 An emergency worker should always have a survey meter on if he thinks he is going to be exposed to radiation, and have a two man field team, so that one can check the other\u2019s dosimeter if the SRD does accidentally discharge.\u00a0 SRDs should be tested annually for electrical leakage.\u00a0 There are now electronic versions available (e.g., PRDs) and they should also be calibrated annually.<\/p>\n
Local jurisdictions located within the 10 mile EPZ of a nuclear power station are tasked with providing SRDs and TLD\/OSLD badges, or equivalent dosimetry, to their designated emergency workers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Office of Radiological Health | 109 Governor Street | Richmond, VA\u00a0 23219<\/p>\n
Telephone (804) 864-8150<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dosimetry devices are used to measure an individual\u2019s exposure to radiation.\u00a0 Sometimes this is referred to as external dose.\u00a0 There are regulatory dose limits for the general public, and occupational workers.\u00a0 Federal guidance for emergency workers is included in state and local Radiological Emergency Plans. Ideally, dosimetry should measure one\u2019s radiation dose; however, the instrument […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":681,"featured_media":0,"parent":18,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-179","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n