Xref: utzoo rec.radio.amateur.misc:2239 sci.electronics:19802
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!kitty!larry
From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: How to measure/detect X-ray (cheap)?
Summary: Film versus TLD dosimetry
Keywords: personal dosimetry, film, TLD
Message-ID: <4916@kitty.UUCP>
Date: 2 May 91 02:02:22 GMT
References: <4902@kitty.UUCP> <4212786@harvee.UUCP> <1991May1.161415.4235@swbatl.sbc.com>
Followup-To: rec.radio.amateur.misc,sci.electronics
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 36

In article <1991May1.161415.4235@swbatl.sbc.com> ken@swbatl.sbc.com (Ken Gianino 5-9081) writes:
>>I would not trust film badge dosimeters.  My wife works for a vet and
>>they use film badge dosimeters in their x-ray room.  One of her co-workers
>>decieded to "test" the dosimeter by giving it a full dose of x-rays
>
> Does anyone still use film badges?

	Sure!

> I thought the whole industry switched
> over to thermoluminescent dosimeters years ago.  They look like film badges.

	Film badges, which typically use the dual-emulsion Kodak Type 2
Personal Monitoring Film, are useful for estimating the energy distribution
of absorbed radiation since they generally mask the film with four filter
quadrants.  Film badge operation and processing cost is also somewhat less
than that of TLD.

	ICN Biomedical, Inc., which processes film badge dosimeters for
my organization, does a brisk business in film badges, although they also
offer TLD dosimeters.
 
> Maybe I'm wrong and just the nuclear power industry switched to TLD's for
> Gamma dose.

	I can't speak about the nuclear power industry, but in my travels
in industry and government where radionuclides are used for analytical
chemistry purposes, I see film badges almost exclusively rather than TLD.

	TLD might be particularly useful in the nuclear power industry
since it also detects neutron energy, whereas film badges are not suited
for neutron measurement.

Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp.  "Have you hugged your cat today?"
VOICE: 716/688-1231       {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry
FAX:   716/741-9635   [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/      \aerion!larry