Comparison test of electronic dosemeters

To assist with a planned purchase of electronic dosemeters by the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection, the calibration laboratory of the Paul Scherrer Institute performed tests on 11 types of electronic dosemeters manufactured by 10 European and American companies. The technical specifications for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) tendering procedure were largely in accord with the specifications of the international standard IEC 61526. First tests were performed with samples from each type of dosemeter. The reproducibility of a dose of 0.1 mSv generated with 137Cs radiation at a dose rate of 2.1 mSv.h-1 was found adequate for all tested dosemeter types. The response for environmental levels of radiation showed a large variation, indicating insufficient background correction of some dosmeters. A very high dose rate of 10 Sv.h-1 provoked faulty dose readings for more than half of the tested dosemeters. Dosemeter response for low-energy photon radiation was satisfactory for two of the tested dosemeter types. Four dosemeter types were selected for extended technical tests. Three samples of each of these dosemeter types were purchased. For drop and temperature tests the specifications of the WTO tendering procedure outranged the specifications of the IEC standard. Whereas even at a temperature of -25 degrees C the tested dosemeters functioned normally, drops from a height of 2 m onto a wooden surface rendered the samples of two dosemeter types inoperative.