Using smartphone as a motion detector to collect time-microenvironment data for estimating the inhalation dose

Area of Science:

• Radiochemistry and Nuclear Medicine
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Environmental Monitoring

Background:

• Iodine-131 (131I) production via dry distillation of neutron-irradiated tellurium dioxide releases (131I) vapor into indoor air.
• Routine exposure to inhaled (131I) poses a significant chronic intake risk for personnel in radioisotope production areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the inhalation dose for workers handling (131I) in a radioisotope production setting.
• To evaluate the feasibility of using smartphone motion detection for occupational exposure monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Collected time-microenvironment data using a smartphone application for a radiation worker group during 2015 workdays.
• Utilized portable air samplers with radioiodine cartridges to measure daily average (131I) concentrations in indoor air.
• Integrated time-microenvironment data with (131I) concentration data to calculate worker inhalation doses.

Main Results:

• The estimated annual internal dose for most workers ranged between 1 and 6 millisieverts (mSv).
• Smartphone motion detection proved to be a reliable alternative to traditional methods like questionnaires, diaries, or GPS tracking.

Conclusions:

• Smartphone-based motion detection offers a viable method for monitoring occupational exposure in fixed indoor environments.
• This approach is currently limited to monitoring specific indoor settings and targeted individuals, necessitating further development for broader applications.