APPLICABILITY OF A HANDHELD LaBr3(Ce) SPECTROMETER FOR INTERNAL RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION EXAMINATION IN RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY

Abstract

In case of a nuclear or radiological emergency, there may be a very large population of individuals being affected by radiation exposure. Rapid and on-site examinations of possible internal radioactive contaminations are required for early dose assessment and large-scale screening. With the appropriate methodology, early dose information of internal exposure can be instantly obtained by a handheld spectrometer only. In this study, we extended the use of a handheld LaBr3 spectrometer to rough internal dose assessment. A family of real source BOMAB phantoms was applied for efficiency calibration of different detecting geometries. Detecting limits of several nuclides of major concern was also investigated. The result of this study can be used for initial dose assessment and medical triage during the first response of nuclear and radiological emergencies.