Common Dosimetry Terminology

Fetal badge - Badge supplied to a declared pregnant radiation worker to monitor radiation dose to the fetus for the term of the pregnancy.

Dose History - Lifetime history of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation. NRC Form-4

Spare Badge - Extra badge sent at customer request for assignment to:

- Visitors
- New employees
- Employees who have lost their normal dosimeter
- Spiking - A customer practice of playing a little joke on dosimetry service companies by
  intentionally exposing a spare dosimeter to radiation to test the processor's ability to evaluate exposed dosimeters.

• Area Monitor - Dosimeter used to monitor an area. Dose not assigned to a person.

• Whole-body -Those portions of the body from the elbows to the knees, including the head.

• Extremity Dosimeter - Dosimeter used to monitor dose to wrist, finger or ankle.

• Millirem (mrem) - A unit of radiation dose that equates radiation exposure to biological damage. The yearly limit for occupational exposure to ionizing radiation is 5000 mrem.

• Webster Calculation - When a Health Care Professional wears a protective (lead) apron to minimize radiation exposure while working in proximity to a radiation source, a badge is worn on the chest, beneath the apron, and at the collar. A Webster Calculation is then performed to determine the worker's true dose.

• Minimum Reportable Dose -The minimum dose that can be reliably detected.

More Technical Common Dosimetry Terminology

• TEDE - Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE)- means the sum of the deep-dose equivalent (for external exposures) and the committed effective dose equivalent (for internal exposures).

• DDE - Deep-dose equivalent (Hd)- which applies to external whole-body exposure, is the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 1 cm (1000 mg/cm2).

• EDE - Effective dose equivalent (HE)- is the sum of the products of the dose equivalent to the organ or tissue (HT) and the weighting factors (WT) applicable to each of the body organs or tissues that are irradiated (HE = ΣWTHT).

CDE - Committed dose equivalent (HT,50)- The dose equivalent to organs or tissues of reference (T) that will be received from an intake of radioactive material by an individual during the 50-year period following the intake.

• CEDE - Committed Effective Dose Equivalent - The sum of the products of the weighting factors applicable to each of the body organs or tissues that are irradiated and the committed dose equivalent to these organs or tissues (HE,50 = ΣWTHT.50).

• Rem - the special unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in rems is equal to the absorbed dose in rads multiplied by the quality factor (1 rem=0.01 sievert).

• Sievert - the SI unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in sieverts is equal to the absorbed dose in grays multiplied by the quality factor (1 Sv=100 rems).

• Gray (Gy) - the SI unit of absorbed dose. One gray is equal to an absorbed dose of 1 Joule/kilogram (100 rads).

• RAD - the special unit of absorbed dose. One rad is equal to an absorbed dose of 100 ergs/gram or 0.01 joule/kilogram (0.01 gray).

Definitions from 10 CFR 20