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Radiation Protection Dosimetry Advance Access published online on April 24, 2009
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, doi:10.1093/rpd/ncp067
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

RADIATION PROTECTION IN INHOMOGENEOUS BETA–GAMMA FIELDS AND MODELLING OF HAND PHANTOMS WITH MCNPX

Ch. Blunck, F. Becker*, L. Hegenbart, B. Heide, J. Schimmelpfeng and M. Urban

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Central Safety Department, KES, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

* Corresponding author: frank.becker{at}kit.edu

Received November 18, 2008, amended March 25, 2009, accepted March 31, 2009

The usage of beta-radiation sources in various nuclear medicine therapies is increasing. Consequently, enhanced radiation protection measures are required, as medical staff more frequently handle high-activity sources required for therapy. Inhomogeneous radiation fields make it difficult to determine absorbed dose reliably. Routine monitoring with dosemeters does not guarantee any accurate determination of the local skin dose (LSD). In general, correction factors are used to correct for the measured dose and the maximum absorbed dose received. However, strong underestimations of the maximum exposure are possible depending on the individual handling the process and the reliability of dose measurements. Simulations can be used as a tool for a better understanding of the maximum possible exposure depending on the individual-related handling. While measurements reveal the overall dose during the entire irradiation time of the dosemeter, simulations help to analyse sequences of action. Hence, simulations allow for tracking the points of highest absorbed dose received during the handling process. In this respect, simulations were performed using the MCNPX software. In order to investigate the LSD, two hand phantoms were used, a model based on geometrical elements and a voxel hand. A typical situation of radiosynoviorthesis, i.e. handling a syringe filled with 90Y, was simulated. The results of the simulations show that the annual dose limit may be exceeded within minutes at the position of maximum absorbed dose received and that finger-ring dosemeters measure significantly different doses depending on their wearing position. It is of essential importance to wear the dosemeter properly and to use suitable correction factors with respect to the individual. Simulations are a suitable tool for ensuring reliable dose determination and may help to derive recommendations regarding radiation protection measures.


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