Evaluation of Dose Ace GD-352M RPL glass dosemeter for eye lens dosimetry

Recent studies demonstrated that lens opacities can occur at lower radiation doses than previously accepted. In view of these studies, the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP), recommended in their Publication 118 to reduce the eye lens dose limit from 150mSv/y down to 20mSv/y. This implies the need of monitoring doses received by the eye lens. Small rod radiophotoluminescence (RPL) glass dosemeter GD-352M, which is currently common in personal dosimetry, could be suitable for this purpose. In this study,
RPL dosemeters were characterized in terms of their energy (137Cs, 60Co and the X rays ISO narrow spectrum series) and angular dependence (0° up to 90°, with 2 energies: 137Cs and N60 X rays ISO narrow spectrum). All acquisitions were performed at the SCK•CEN – Belgium, on the cylindrical phantom. For selected energies and angles (137Cs, 60Co, N40, N60 and N80; 60° and 90°), the dosemeters were also irradiated on the ISO water slab phantom, at the Ruđer Bošković Institute - Croatia. All data were analyzed in terms of Hp(3). GD-352M showed relatively good energy dependence at low energies, relative to 137Cs, on the cylindrical phantom. From 0° up to 45°, the dosemeters showed no significant angular dependence on the cylindrical phantom. However, at 90°, a difference of 68%, relative to 0°, was observed. Comparing these results with those obtained on the slab phantom, differences were mainly present at high angles. First results show that GD-352M has good properties related to Hp(3), although some improvements and further investigations are necessary