[Measurement of environmental radiation in X-ray room with passive integrating dosimeter]

Radiation dose limits in the controlled area of an X-ray room have been prescribed at 1.3 mSv/3 months by the Enforcement Regulations of the Medical Service Law. Leakage effective dose must be measured once within a period that does not exceed six months. Scattered radiation and leakage effective dose were measured in 4 X-ray rooms (chest X-ray room, general-purpose X-ray room, skull and neck X-ray room, and X-ray CT room) with the optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD), which is a passive integrating dosimeter. The availability of the measurement method for radiation control with OSLD was evaluated. Scattered radiation in the inside wall surface of the skull and neck X-ray room was less than 1.3 mSv/3 months of the dose limits. There was more scattered radiation in the X-ray CT room than in other X-ray rooms, and the maximum dose was 428 mSv/3 months, measured on the floor. All measurements of leakage effective dose in the 4 X-ray rooms were less than the radiation dose limit, and most measurements of leakage effective dose were less than the detection limits of the dosimeter. Leakage effective dose as calculated by Law 188 (Law 188-Dose) was less than the radiation dose limits in three X-ray rooms, the exception being the X-ray CT room. The Law 188-Dose of the X-ray CT room exceeded 1.3 mSv/3 months at the walls where primary X-rays were directed. The measurement method of leakage effective dose with an ionization survey meter was not able to guarantee the workload of each X-ray apparatus. Therefore, we were not able to confirm the security of X-ray rooms by measurement with an ionization survey meter. Scattered radiation in X-ray rooms was generated intermittently and showed a low dose rate. Consequently, it was established that dose leakage from X-ray rooms must be measured with an integrating dosimeter. It was suggested that the measurement method of environmental dose with OSLD was useful to measurement for radiation control.