Personal dosimetry for positron emitters, and occupational exposures from clinical use of gallium-68

J. Eakins; L. Hager; U. O’Connor; J. Cooke; G. O’Reilly; C. Walsh; T. Willson

doi:10.1088/1361-6498/ac8885

Personal dosimetry for positron emitters, and occupational exposures from clinical use of gallium-68

J. Eakins^*, L. Hager, U. O’Connor, J. Cooke, G. O’Reilly, C. Walsh, T. Willson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The current status and issues regarding positron dosimetry in nuclear medicine are summarized. The suitability of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency extremity and eye beta-gamma personal thermoluminescence dosemeters are then considered. Monte Carlo modelling is performed to determine their responses and derive sets of calibration factors, along with H _p(0.07) and H _p(3) conversion coefficients, for carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, fluorine-18 and gallium-68 sources, which are commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography; data for these isotopes is assumed extrapolatable to other positron sources. It is found that the dosemeters are adequate for assessing exposures to PET radionuclides, even if their routine calibrations to caesium-137 were maintained. An idealized set of measurements representing gallium-68 exposure scenarios is then described, including reproducible mock-ups of individuals manipulating vials and syringes. Finally, a short case-study is presented that explores occupational doses during routine clinical use of gallium-68. The extremity dosemeter results demonstrated significant variations dependent upon the exposure conditions, with some seen to be comparatively large; whole-body and eye dose rates per activity were found to be lower. The importance of routine dose monitoring of workers is emphasized, with the need for a longer-termed follow-up study demonstrated.

Original language	English
Article number	031511
Journal	Journal of Radiological Protection
Volume	42
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/ac8885
Publication status	Published - Sept 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors thank staff and colleagues at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, for their invaluable participation in this research, and are grateful to both organizations for their overall support of the project. We also thank UKHSA’s Approved Personal Dosimetry Service (PDS) for supplying and processing the dosemeters.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Society for Radiological Protection. Published on behalf of SRP by IOP Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Monte Carlo
PET-CT
calibration
medical dosimetry
occupational exposures
personal dosimetry
positron

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1088/1361-6498/ac8885

Cite this

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title = "Personal dosimetry for positron emitters, and occupational exposures from clinical use of gallium-68",

abstract = "The current status and issues regarding positron dosimetry in nuclear medicine are summarized. The suitability of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency extremity and eye beta-gamma personal thermoluminescence dosemeters are then considered. Monte Carlo modelling is performed to determine their responses and derive sets of calibration factors, along with H p(0.07) and H p(3) conversion coefficients, for carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, fluorine-18 and gallium-68 sources, which are commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography; data for these isotopes is assumed extrapolatable to other positron sources. It is found that the dosemeters are adequate for assessing exposures to PET radionuclides, even if their routine calibrations to caesium-137 were maintained. An idealized set of measurements representing gallium-68 exposure scenarios is then described, including reproducible mock-ups of individuals manipulating vials and syringes. Finally, a short case-study is presented that explores occupational doses during routine clinical use of gallium-68. The extremity dosemeter results demonstrated significant variations dependent upon the exposure conditions, with some seen to be comparatively large; whole-body and eye dose rates per activity were found to be lower. The importance of routine dose monitoring of workers is emphasized, with the need for a longer-termed follow-up study demonstrated.",

keywords = "Monte Carlo, PET-CT, calibration, medical dosimetry, occupational exposures, personal dosimetry, positron",

author = "J. Eakins and L. Hager and U. O{\textquoteright}Connor and J. Cooke and G. O{\textquoteright}Reilly and C. Walsh and T. Willson",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank staff and colleagues at St James{\textquoteright}s Hospital, Dublin, and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, for their invaluable participation in this research, and are grateful to both organizations for their overall support of the project. We also thank UKHSA{\textquoteright}s Approved Personal Dosimetry Service (PDS) for supplying and processing the dosemeters. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Society for Radiological Protection. Published on behalf of SRP by IOP Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.",

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AU - Eakins, J.

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AU - Cooke, J.

AU - O’Reilly, G.

AU - Walsh, C.

AU - Willson, T.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank staff and colleagues at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, for their invaluable participation in this research, and are grateful to both organizations for their overall support of the project. We also thank UKHSA’s Approved Personal Dosimetry Service (PDS) for supplying and processing the dosemeters. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Society for Radiological Protection. Published on behalf of SRP by IOP Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.

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N2 - The current status and issues regarding positron dosimetry in nuclear medicine are summarized. The suitability of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency extremity and eye beta-gamma personal thermoluminescence dosemeters are then considered. Monte Carlo modelling is performed to determine their responses and derive sets of calibration factors, along with H p(0.07) and H p(3) conversion coefficients, for carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, fluorine-18 and gallium-68 sources, which are commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography; data for these isotopes is assumed extrapolatable to other positron sources. It is found that the dosemeters are adequate for assessing exposures to PET radionuclides, even if their routine calibrations to caesium-137 were maintained. An idealized set of measurements representing gallium-68 exposure scenarios is then described, including reproducible mock-ups of individuals manipulating vials and syringes. Finally, a short case-study is presented that explores occupational doses during routine clinical use of gallium-68. The extremity dosemeter results demonstrated significant variations dependent upon the exposure conditions, with some seen to be comparatively large; whole-body and eye dose rates per activity were found to be lower. The importance of routine dose monitoring of workers is emphasized, with the need for a longer-termed follow-up study demonstrated.

AB - The current status and issues regarding positron dosimetry in nuclear medicine are summarized. The suitability of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency extremity and eye beta-gamma personal thermoluminescence dosemeters are then considered. Monte Carlo modelling is performed to determine their responses and derive sets of calibration factors, along with H p(0.07) and H p(3) conversion coefficients, for carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, fluorine-18 and gallium-68 sources, which are commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography; data for these isotopes is assumed extrapolatable to other positron sources. It is found that the dosemeters are adequate for assessing exposures to PET radionuclides, even if their routine calibrations to caesium-137 were maintained. An idealized set of measurements representing gallium-68 exposure scenarios is then described, including reproducible mock-ups of individuals manipulating vials and syringes. Finally, a short case-study is presented that explores occupational doses during routine clinical use of gallium-68. The extremity dosemeter results demonstrated significant variations dependent upon the exposure conditions, with some seen to be comparatively large; whole-body and eye dose rates per activity were found to be lower. The importance of routine dose monitoring of workers is emphasized, with the need for a longer-termed follow-up study demonstrated.

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KW - occupational exposures

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M1 - 031511

ER -

Personal dosimetry for positron emitters, and occupational exposures from clinical use of gallium-68

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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