Assessment of Radiation doses of Staff of Nuclear Medicine Unit at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The paper presents the assessment of radiation doses of staff in the Nuclear Medicine Unit of Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital. The doses received by staff are compared with the dose limits recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Doses of occupational workers in the Nuclear Medicine unit were monitored for a period of 5 months. Personal radiation doses were determined using two chip LiF TLD-100 dosimeter badges. The TLD badges and reader were calibrated using a standard 90-Strontium radiation source. The mean monthly effective radiation doses for the staff ranged from 0.78± 0.05mSv/month for nursing officers to 0.08± 0.05mSv/month for the nuclear medicine physician. These mean monthly effective radiation doses were projected to the annual effective radiation doses received by staff. The mean annual radiation doses were, 9.29±0.60mSv/yr for Nursing Officers, 2.79± 0.60mSv/yr for Medical Physicist and Radiographer, 6.46 ±0.60 mSv/yr for Radioimmunoassay Technologists, 1.71 ± 0.60 mSv/yr for Nuclear Medicine Technologist and 0.91±0.60 mSv/y for Nuclear Medicine Physician. The results of this study show that effective radiation doses received by the Nuclear Medicine staff of Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital are within the recommended dose limits for occupational workers.

Key words: Effective Radiation Doses, Dose Limits, Occupational Worker, Thermoluminescent Dosimeter.