Dose estimation to eye lens of industrial gamma radiography workers using the Monte Carlo method

The ICRP Statement on Tissue Reactions (2011), based on epidemiological evidence, recommended a
reduction for the eye lens equivalent dose limit from 150 to 20 mSv per year. This paper presents
mainly the dose estimations received by industrial gamma radiography workers, during planned or
accidental exposure to the eye lens, Hp(10) and effective dose. A Brazilian Visual Monte Carlo Dose
Calculation program was used and two relevant scenarios were considered. For the planned exposure
situation, twelve radiographic exposures per day for 250 days per year, which leads to a direct
exposure of 10 h per year, were considered. The simulation was carried out using a 192 Ir source
with 1.0 TBq of activity; a source/operator distance between 5 and 10 m and placed at heights of
0.02 m, 1 m and 2 m, and an exposure time of 12 s. Using a standard height of 1 m, the eye lens
doses were estimated as being between 16.3 and 60.3 mGy per year. For the accidental exposure
situation, the ...

Source: Journal of Radiological Protection - September 13, 2017 Category: Physics Authors: Alexandre Roza de Lima, John Graham Hunt and Francisco Cesar Augusto Da Silva Source Type: research