PERFORMANCE TESTING OF EYE LENS DOSEMETER AND EVALUATION OF PERSONAL RADIOLOGICAL EXPOSITION AT DOUERA ORTHOPEDIC INTERVENTIONAL SERVICE.

The radiological monitoring of the eye in the workplace depends on the type of dosemeter used and its performance. The dosimetric performances of Nuclear Research Center of Algiers (CRNA) developed eye lens dosemeter (Larabi-Harfouche et al. Characterization and qualification of a CRNA eye dosemeter. Perspect Sci. 12, 100402 (2019)) are investigated in this work in order to assess its ability to measure the operational quantity Hp(3) in photon fields and to check its compliance with the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations for professionally exposed people (ICRP. ICRP statement on tissue reactions/early and late effects of radiation in normal tissues and organs - threshold doses for tissue reactions in a radiation protection context. ICRP Publication 118. Ann. ICRP 41(1/2) (2012)). Some key performance indicators including the relative response of the nonlinearity, coefficient of variation, and photon energy and angular dependence are assessed before the use of this dosemeter for eye lens monitoring of orthopedic staff in the operating room at Douera hospital. The monitoring results of this first pilot study are presented and discussed in view of supporting the recommendations of the International Organization for Standardization 15382: 2015 concerning the monitoring of the dose at lens.

Experimental determination and simulation of neutron and gamma flux parameters in horizontal channel for Prompt Gamma Neutron activation analysis implementation at Es-Salam research reactor.

Since 2004, the k0-standardization method has been applied and evaluated in three experimental channels at Es-Salam research reactor of the Algerian Centre de Recherche Nucléaire de Birine (CRNB). The NAA laboratory at CRNB is well involved in the implementation of the Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis to extend the field of analyses to some additional elements to the NAA method. In the frame work of the PGNAA research project, several works have been carried out in the present study including the experimental and simulation characterization of neutron and gamma flux parameters of the horizontal channel. The absolute and relative neutron fluxes of the studied channel have been determined by using a set of monitors including Al, Au, Cu, Fe and Zr. Furthermore, measurements of gamma and thermal neutron doses have been achieved using LiF: Mg, Ti (TLD 600 and TLD 700) detectors. The gamma dose rate at the experimental channel center position was found to be 0.6 Gy/min·MW. The experimental results obtained in this study have been used as input information for simulations and design of neutron facilities and radiation shielding, which are successfully established by SCALE code. The results were compared in terms of spectral detail and precision and a good agreement has been revealed. The value of the thermal neutron flux was found to be (6.29 ± 0.25) E+08 n/cm2.s which allows the implementation of PGNAA at the Es-Salam research reactor.

Effect of background and transport dose on the results of the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) measurements in photon fields obtained during the intercomparison 2013 of the African region.

As part of the intercomparison on the measurement of personal dose equivalent Hp(10), jointly organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Algerian Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory, for the African region, up to 12 dosemeters were added to the packages of the 28 participants to evaluate the background and transport dose (BGTD), received by the dosemeters before and after their irradiation at the SSDL (environmental irradiations, scanning process at the airports, etc.). Out of the 28 participants, only 17 reported the corresponding BGTD measured values, which lied between 0.03 and 0.8 mSv. The mean measured value of BG was (0.25±0.14) mSv, which is significantly high compared with the lowest dose value used in the intercomparison exercise. The BGTD correction shifted the overall results of the intercomparison from an overestimation of dose (∼8 % before applying BGT dose correction) to an underestimation of dose (-9 % after correction). The measurement protocol and the detailed analysis of the results and applied corrections are discussed in this paper.

Intercomparison 2013 on measurements of the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) in photon fields in the African region.

An intercomparison exercise on the measurement of personal dose equivalent Hp(10) was jointly organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Research Centre of Algiers through its Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory in the African region. This intercomparison exercise was aimed at verifying the performance of the individual monitoring services of the participants in order to assess their capabilities to measure the quantity Hp(10) in photon (gamma and X ray) fields helping them to comply with dose limitation requirements. The scope of this intercomparison was aimed at passive dosemeters, which determine the personal dose equivalent in photon radiation fields, mainly for thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence dosemeters. Twenty-seven countries from the Africa region and from outside Africa participated in this exercise. The intercomparison protocol, including the preparation of the dosemeters and the irradiation procedures, is described and the results are presented, analysed and discussed.

Exposure to indoor radon and natural gamma radiation in some workplaces at Algiers, Algeria.

Radon activity concentrations have been measured in 34 workplaces throughout Algiers nuclear research centre, in Algeria, during some periods between March 2007 and June 2013 using Electret ion chambers, nuclear tracks detectors and an AlphaGuard system. The indoor radon levels range from 2 to 628 Bq m(-3) with an average indoor concentration equals to 92 Bq m(-3), whereas the estimated outdoor radon concentrations range from 2 to 14 Bq m(-3) with an average value of 6 Bq m(-3). This study also focused on parameters affecting radon concentration levels such as floor number, ventilation and atmospheric parameters. Furthermore, the mean gamma rates have been measured in the different investigated locations and have been found to be varying between 33 and 3300 nSv h(-1). The annual effective dose for workers calculated using the appropriate equilibrium and occupancy factors is lower than the value recommended by International Commission on Radiological Protection in its Publication 103.