Analysis of Trends in Dose through Evaluation of Spatial Dose Rate and Surface Contamination in Radiation-Controlled Area and Personal Exposed Dose of Radiation Worker at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS)

Abstract

cc This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. As the probability of exposure to radiation increases due to an increase in the use of radioisotopes and radiation generators, the importance of a radiation safety management field is being highlighted. We intend to help radiation workers with exposure management by identifying the degree of radiation exposure and contamination to determine an efficient method of radiation safety management. The personal exposure doses of the radiation workers at the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences measured every quarter during a five-year period from Jan. 1, 2011 till Dec. 31, 2015 were analyzed using a TLD (thermoluminescence dosimeter). The spatial dose rates of radiation-controlled areas were measured using a portable radioscope, and the level of surface contamination was measured at weekly intervals using a piece of smear paper and a low background alpha/beta counter. Though the averages of the depth doses and the surface doses in 2012 increased from those in 2011 by about 14%, the averages were shown to have decreased every year after that. The exposure dose of 27 mSv in 2012 increased from that in 2011 in radiopharmaceutical laboratories and, in the case of the spatial dose rate, the rate of decrease in 2012 was shown to be similar to the annual trend of the whole institute. In the case of the surface contamination level, as the remaining radiation-controlled area with the exception of the I-131 treatment ward showed a low value less than 1.0 kBq/m², the annual trend of the I-131 treatment ward was shown to be similar to that of the entire institute. In conclusion, continuous attention should be paid to dose monitoring of the radiation-controlled areas where unsealed sources are handled and the workers therein. Analysis of Trends in Dose through