Intercomparison IC2021area of passive area dosimetry systems

The EURADOS intercomparison IC2021area was carried out between May 2021 and April 2022 for 66 participating passive H*(10) area dosimetry systems from 47 different institutes and monitoring services. Three measurement conditions were provided at locations of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: 3-months indoor, 3-months outdoor and 6-months outdoor. The challenge of this intercomparison was measuring additionally irradiated low dose radiation. Six dosemeters of each participating system were irradiated with Cs-137 gamma reference radiation: Three dosemeters with 150 µSv and three dosemeters with 300 µSv. Another six dosemeters of each participating system were not irradiated and were used for background dose subtraction. Typical values of the measured background dose were between 200 µSv and 450 µSv with a few significantly higher values up to 1.6 mSv. Despite the challenge of the low reference dose values, more than 90 % of the resulting response values of the irradiated dosemeters were within the recommended ISO 14146 trumpet curve response limits.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Overview of passive area dosimetry systems used in European countries

EURADOS Working Group 3 (WG3) aims at providing information about the correct measurement of the ambient dose equivalent, short H*(10), in the environment and has a specific subgroup (WG3-SG2) that focuses on passive environmental dosimetry. One of the initial tasks of the subgroup was to gather information on passive area dosimetry for workplace and environmental radiation monitoring. This information has been obtained from dosimetry services using passive H*(10) photon or neutron dosemeters. On the basis of surveys performed in 2012 and 2016 this report summarizes the situation of passive environmental dosimetry in European countries. The results were treated confidentially. Therefore, the present document shows anonymous statistical evaluations. The gathered facts helped, in particular, to prepare related intercomparisons. Some open questions have been identified, especially concerning the harmonization of environmental dosimetry since many different protocols, dosimetry systems, calibration procedures, regulations and laws exist.Postprint (published version

Low dose response results and detection limits of the EURADOS intercomparison IC2021area for passive H*(10) area dosemeters

The EURADOS intercomparison IC2021area with its main focus on low dose measurements was carried out between May 2021 and April 2022 for passive H*(10) area dosimetry systems. Three measurement conditions were provided at locations of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: 3-months indoor, 3-months outdoor and 6-months outdoor. The challenge for the 65 participating dosimetry systems of this intercomparison was measuring additionally irradiated low dose 137Cs gamma radiation of 150 µSv and 300 µSv. Despite the comparably high background dose values between about 200 µSv and 1600 µSv, more than 90% of the resulting response values of the irradiated dosemeters were within the recommended ISO 14146 response limits. The calculated detection limits of the participating dosimetry systems were in most cases clearly below the desired value of 150 µSv of this intercomparison.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

EURADOS intercomparison of passive H*(10) area dosemeters 2014

Under the umbrella of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS), different working groups have responded to the requests of monitoring services in Europe for independent tests of dosimetry systems for harmonization and quality assurance. After having performed regular intercomparisons of personal dosemeters, EURADOS Working Group 3, “Environmental Dosimetry”, performed the first EURADOS intercomparison for passive ambient dose equivalent, abbreviated H*(10), area dosemeters used for environmental monitoring in 2014 (IC2014env). Such dosimetry systems are generally used to monitor nuclear installations, besides other applications. The results of this intercomparison with a total of more than 500 dosemeters help to better understand influence parameters and the possible accuracy of typical dosimetric measurements using passive dosemeters

Status of passive environmental dosimetry in Europe

EURADOS Working Group 3 (WG3) aims at providing information about the correct measurement of the ambient dose equivalent (rate) in the environment and has a specific subgroup (WG3-SG2) that focuses on passive environmental dosimetry. One of the initial tasks of the subgroup was to gain an overview of passive dosimetry practices in Europe. On the basis of a survey carried out by this subgroup in 2013/2014, information on the state-of-the-art was gained, several conclusions were drawn and some open questions have been identified, e.g. the harmonization in the terminology, uncertainty assessment procedures and corrections of measured values by passive dosemeters due to transport and climate

MATSIM: Development of a Voxel Model of the MATROSHKA Astronaut Dosimetric Phantom

The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology coordinates the project MATSIM (MATROSHKA Simulation) in collaboration with the Vienna University of Technology and the German Aerospace Center, to perform FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations of the MATROSHKA numerical phantom irradiated under reference radiation field conditions as well as for the radiation environment at the International Space Station (ISS). MATSIM is carried out as co-investigation of the ESA ELIPS projects SORD and RADIS (commonly known asMATROSHKA), an international collaboration of more than 18 research institutes and space agencies from all over the world, under the science and project lead of the German Aerospace Center. During MATSIM a computer tomography scan of the MATROSHKA phantom has been converted into a high resolution 3-dimensional voxel model. The energy imparted and absorbed dose distribution inside the model is determined for various radiation fields. The major goal of the MATSIM project is the validation of the numerical model under reference radiation conditions and further investigations under the radiation environment at ISS. In this report we compare depth dose distributions inside the phantom measured with thermoluminescence detectors (TLDs) and an ionization chamber with FLUKA Monte Carlo particle transport simulations due to Co-60 photon exposure. Further reference irradiations with neutrons, protons and heavy ions are planned. The fully validated numerical model MATSIM will provide a perfect tool to assess the radiation exposure to humans during current and future space missions to ISS, Moon, Mars and beyond