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Incorporation monitoring

When handling open radioactive substances it may occure that radionuclides are incorporated into the body, e.g. by inhalation, ingestion, through the skin or through an open wound. This leads to internal radiation exposure. It is the task of incorporation monitoring to assess the internal doses retrospectively.

Pianoforte

TIMER: PIANOFORTE Training course on Internal Monitoring and Emergency Response

BfS will host an international training course on internal monitoring and emergency response from July 1st to 5th 2024 at its Berlin office. Young scientists and practitioners from either the field of internal monitoring or radiological emergency response are invited to register.

Procedure of Monitoring of Internal Exposures

For the handling of sources of ionising radiation, dose limits for the workers have been laid down in the Radiation Protection Act (Strahlenschutzgesetz - StrlSchG). For work-related exposure to ionising radiation the limit value of the effective dose is 20 mSv per calendar year. When handling open radioactive substances, the body dose can be composed of external and/or internal radiation exposure, depending on working conditions, the chemical form of the used substances and the type of radionuclides.

Approved Laboratories for Incorporation Monitoring (ALIM)

Approved Laboratories for Monitoring of Internal Exposures (ALMIEs)

In Germany, the accredited laboratories (ALMIEs) are responsible for monitoring incorporated radiation as part of physical radiation protection control. These laboratories use standard monitoring methods to determine the body dose of internal radiation exposure.

Individual to be measured in a whole body counter

BfS Coordinating Office for Internal Monitoring

The Coordinating Office for Internal Monitoring of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection is responsible for the quality assurance of monitoring methods, the standardisation and harmonisation of analytical, measurement and interpretation procedures, awarding research and development work (Ressortplan projects), advising and reporting. In addition, the Office is integrated into the radiological emergency management.

Interlaboratory comparisons

One of the major tasks of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection's (BfS) Coordinating Office on Internal Monitoring is to support the approved laboratories for monitoring of internal exposures (ALMIEs) in their quality assurance in all stages in assessing the internal dose. This means that the Coordinating Office has to take special care of the regular performance of intercomparisons in the in-vivo laboratories (whole body and partial body counter) and the in-vitro laboratories (excretion analysis).

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