¹⁸F-FDG production procedures as a source of the eye lens exposure

Decreasing the individual dose limit for the eye lens means verifying the need for routine monitoring of the eye lens of workers exposed to ionizing radiation, including those employed in facilities producing radiopharmaceuticals based on short-lived isotopes. This work analyses the exposure of the eye lenses of employees of centres that produce the isotopes for positron emission tomography, in particular fluorine-18. It takes into account the employment structure and work system of the discussed centres, including in terms of changing the dose limit value for the eye lens. The work complements the Part I, which examines the hand exposure of workers in the radiopharmaceutical production centres. Measurements were carried out by using high-sensitivity thermoluminescence detectors (LiF: Mg, Cu, P - MCP-N). The measurements covered 17 employees. Our results show that the highest values of personal dose equivalent Hp(3) were recorded for the ¹⁸F-FDG quality control personnel and nurses who injected the radiopharmaceutical to the patients. In the group of nurses, the maximum daily Hp(3) reaches a value close to 200 μSv. For staff who performed the quality control of ¹⁸F-FDG, the maximum daily dose of Hp(3) exceeds 200 μSv. Estimated annual exposure of eye lenses of workers in these two occupational groups may exceed the new dose limit (20 mSv/year). Results of this study indicate the need for optimization in the procedures related to quality control of radiopharmaceuticals and injection the ¹⁸F-FDG to the patients.