Internal Dosimetry Laboratory

Purpose

The Internal Dosimetry Laboratory is used to obtain measurement data on levels of radionuclides in the whole body, in organs or other tissues and of their rates of excretion, to be used as a basis for assessing intakes and for calculating committed tissue or organ equivalent doses and committed effective doses.

The Internal Dosimetry Laboratory operates a Whole Body Counter, a chemical treatment laboratory and a spectrometry laboratory for urine analysis.

Whole Body Counter

The Agency's Whole Body Counter was first installed (1962) in the previous IAEA Headquarters, in Vienna, then transferred (1978) to the Seibersdorf Laboratory and moved to the Vienna International Center in 2008. In a low background chamber, made of 12 cm thick steel, two Broad Energy HPGe detectors, collimated with lead and copper with different electronic settings, the measurements are carried out for low energy and high energy photons.

 

 

 

A set of phantoms for the calibration of the facility is available, among them:the BOMAB, JAERI, Livermore and the knee phantoms.

 

Urine Analysis

The Agency's Urine Analysis Laboratory is equipped for the treatment and monitoring of urine samples for gamma, alpha and beta content emitters, in three separate laboratories installed at Vienna International Center: The gamma emitters detection is performed on urine samples, collected in one liter plastic bottles, by mean of two Germanium detectors, in 10 cm lead shielding. Each detector is connected to a Digital Spectrum Analyzer controlled by a PC.

The alpha emitters detection is performed after sample chemical treatment. This includes evaporation, mineralization and radiochemical separation using extraction chromatography. The alpha source is prepared with the micro co-precipitation technique. A microwave digester is used all over the process. The measurement is done by means of ion-implanted silicon detectors, in vacuum chambers of the Alpha Analyst Spectroscopy Workstation.

The beta emitters detection is performed by an automatic ultra low level Liquid Scintillation Counter.