Radiation Monitoring
Exposure to high levels of radiation can be dangerous. Because radiation is odorless and invisible, those who must work with radioactive materials need special equipment to ensure their safety and the safety of those around them. First responders (HazMat, fire, police, EMS), hospital workers, nuclear facilities engineers, and workers at industrial facilities housing radioactive materials operate in different environments, but all share the need for protection from the harmful effects of radiation.
Personal Radiation Detectors
A personal radiation detector, sometimes called a PRD, is a small pager-like device that measures radiation. Its main purpose is to alert the wearer to the presence of radiation as quickly as possible. Detectors have very fast response times and display a measurement of the radiation dose rate.
Detectors typically sense gamma radiation or gamma and neutron radiation. Gamma radiation is the most abundant and easiest to detect. Neutron radiation can be deadly in smaller doses than other types of radiation, and is an indicator of potential weapons-grade materials, such as plutonium.
Dosimeters
The main purpose of a dosimeter is to accurately measure the accumulated radiation dose that the wearer has received while wearing the dosimeter. The radiation sensor in a dosimeter is energy compensated. Energy-compensated sensors have a filter placed over them to ensure a level efficiency over the entire radiation energy range. This translates to a more accurate total dose measurement. Dosimeters can measure gamma, alpha, beta and neutron radiation doses, but most electronic personal dosimeters measure only gamma radiation because it is the most abundant and most likely type of radiation exposure.
Environmental Science and Technology provide a number of devices that can be used as radiation detectors and dosimeters; please see below. For specialist advise please call us.