HAND DOSE EVALUATION OF OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED STAFF IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Manipulation of unsealed radiation sources in nuclear medicine (NM) departments involves non-uniform exposure to staff and high skin doses to the upper extremities from direct and scattered radiations. Conducted studies have shown that the annual dose limits could be exceeded and the continuous dose monitoring of NM worker's hands is needed. The aim of this article is to show results of hand dose monitoring in terms of operational quantity Hp(0.07) for occupationally exposed NM workers to beta and gamma radiations in the largest NM centre in Serbia. Dose assessment was done by means of thermoluminescent ring dosemeters DXT-RAD (LiF:Mg,Ti). Monthly and annual doses were evaluated for a 5-y period (2010-14). Monitored NM staff was categorised according to the type of work, as nurses, radiographers, laboratory technicians and radiochemists. Performed evaluation showed that annual hand doses were within the annual limit for all staff categories, but further optimisation of working practice is needed.