Extremity Dosimetry for Radiation Workers Handling Unsealed Radionuclides in Nuclear Medicine Departments in India

Abstract

In India, for the past five decades, whole body radiation dose of radiation workers has been monitored by means of film and thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) badges worn on the body. However, there are no provision/regulatory requirements to monitor doses received at the extremities, i.e., to fingers. Finger dose monitoring is essential for controlling the extremity dose limits for occupational personnel handling unsealed radioactive sources. In order to estimate the doses received in various types of procedures using unsealed sources, finger dose monitoring was carried out in 54 major institutions in the country using a specially designed plastic finger ring embedded with a TLD. The maximum finger dose of occupational workers involved in handling Tc in such activities as extraction and radiopharmacy work is 0.35 mSv GBq; during injection of radiopharmaceuticals and scintigraphy, the doses were observed to be 1 and 0.95 mSv GBq, respectively. Similarly, while handling F-FDG, the maximum doses received during dispensing, injection, and scintigraphy were 0.098, 0.324, and 0.56 mSv GBq, respectively. The maximum radiation dose received during Re/Re balloon angioplasty and while handling Sm was 3.92 and 6.5 mSv GBq, respectively. All the doses recorded were well within the prescribed limit. However, monitoring of these doses periodically would help in compiling the feedback regarding the work practices followed in institutions handling radioisotopes in the country and would also help in maintaining a record of safe work procedures while handling radioisotopes.

Operational Radiation Safety for Pet-Ct, Spect-Ct, and Cyclotron Facilities

“…For an injection syringe with 10 -15 mCi (3.70 -5.59 ϫ 10 7 Bq) of 18 F-FDG, for example, the resulting finger doses can be as high as ϳ3 mrem (30 Sv) or higher per patient procedure (Guillet et al 2005;Tandon et al 2007). Further, the effective dose (ED) to a PET nuclear medicine technologist averages 0.75-1.5 mrem (7.5-15 Sv) per procedure and can be as high as ϳ5 mrem (50 Sv) per d and 700 -1,000 mrem (7-10 mSv) per y (Biran et al 2004;Robinson et al 2005).…”

An overview on extremity dosimetry in medical applications

“…Doses of 0.16-0.19 mSv GBq 21 were reported (23) for the index and the middle finger during the manipulation, while the respective doses for the preparation of the radiopharmaceuticals are higher varying from 0.92 to 0.39 mSv GBq 21 . Tandon et al (24) evaluated doses at the fingers during the dispensing, injection and scintigraphy. The respective numbers for the above phases are: 0.098, 0.324 and 0.56 mSv GBq 21 .…”

Annexes D and E

“…(E 41) Studies reported to date for preparation of 18 F-FDG are limited (Liemann et al, 2000;Laffont et al, 2001;Cronin, 2002;Guillet et al, 2005;Vanhavere et al, 2006;Visseaux et al, 2007;Tandon et al, 2007;Husak et al, 2007;Covens et al, 2007). It is difficult to determine how representative the limited amount of published data is for PET-radiopharmaceutical preparation in general.…”

“…A study of several UK radiopharmacies showed that doses to the most exposed parts of the hands from dispensing radiopharmaceuticals varied from 4 to 40 lGy/GBq (Whitby and Martin, 2005). A substantial amount of other data (Koback and Plato, 1985;Williams et al, 1987;Chiesa et al, 1997;Hastings et al, 1997;Mackenzie, 1997;Dhanse et al, 2000;Harding et al, 1990;Jankowski et al, 2003;Paul et al, 2006;Tandon et al, 2007;Covens et al, 2007;Wrzesień et al, 2008) for individual pharmacists or other staff members dispensing 99m Tc-labelled radiopharmaceuticals shows doses varying from a few lGy to more than 100 lGy per GBq handled.…”