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Below is a list of common terms used with dosimetry monitoring services and in industries where radiation may be present. If you don't see a term that you are looking for, let us know so we can get you answers and add it to our glossary.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ALARA: Acronym for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. Making every reasonable effort to maintain exposures to radiation as far below the dose limits as is practical and consistent with the purpose for which the licensed activity is undertaken.
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Boiling-Water Reactor: A reactor whose primary coolant is allowed to boil.
Breeder Reactor: A reactor which produces more fissile material than it consumes, i.e., has a conversion ratio greater than unity.
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CDE: Committed Dose Equivalent, HT.50 (Internal). Dose equivalent to organs or tissues of reference (T) that will be received from an intake of radioactive material by an individual during the 50-year period following the intake.
CEDE: Committed Effective Dose Equivalent. HE (Internal). Sum of the products of the weighting factors and committed dose equivalent to each of the body organs or tissues that are irradiated.
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DDE: Deep Dose Equivalent. Measurement in rem for dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 1 cm; applies to external whole body exposure.
Dose: The energy absorbed from the radiation in a gram of any material.
Dose Equivalent: The product of the absorbed dose in tissue, quality factor, and all other necessary modifying factors at the location of interest.
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Effective Dose Equivalent: Risk-weighted sum of products of dose equivalents to major body organs or tissues that are irradiated.
ED: Emergency Preparedness Department.
External Dose: That portion of the dose equivalent received from radiation sources outside the body.
Extremity: Hand, elbow, arm below the elbow, foot, knee, leg below the knee.
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Health Physics: The science concerned with the recognition, evaluation and control of health hazards from ionizing radiation.
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Ionizing Radiation: Alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, x-rays, and other particles capable of producing ions.
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LDE: Eye Dose Equivalent. Measurement in rem for dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.3 cm; applies to the external exposure of the lens of the eye.
Leak Test: Testing for alpha, beta, or gamma emitting radiation sources.
Limits: Individual dose limits which includes planned special exposures and overexposures. Annual 5 rem TEDE, 15 Rem LDE and 50 Rem SDE-WB and SDE-ME.
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MREM: A unit used to measure the effect of radiation on the human body.
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Nuclear Reactor: An apparatus in which nuclear fission may be sustained in a self-supporting chain reaction. A reactor includes fissionable material (fuel) such as uranium or plutonium, and moderating material (except fast reactors), and usually includes a reflector to conserve escaping neutrons, provision for heat removal, and measuring and control elements. The terms "pile" and "reactor" have been used interchangeably, with reactor now becoming more common. These terms usually are applied only to systems in which the reaction proceeds at a controlled rate, but they have also been applied to bombs.
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Occupational Dose: Dose received by an individual in a restricted area or in the course of employment in which the individual's assigned duties involve exposure to radiation and/or to radioactive material from licensed and unlicensed sources of radiation, whether in the possession of the licensee or other person. Occupational dose does not include dose received from background radiation, as a patient from medical practices, from voluntary participation in medical research programs, or as a member of the general public.
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Passive Dosimeters: Devices for measuring radiation which must be sent to a third-party for processing.
Pressurized-Water Reactor: A reactor whose primary coolant, water, is maintained under such a pressure that bulk boiling does not occur. You can find some information on all U.S. nuclear facilities by clicking here.
PSE: Planned Special Exposures (Reg Guide 8.35). Restricted to special circumstances where the dose to the individual cannot otherwise be avoided, and, which causes the annual limit for that individual to be exceeded. The PSE provides for an additional dose, equal to the annual limit, to be used by the individual, after a thorough evaluation is conducted which justifies the additional dose is absolutely necessary to complete the job requirements, and, where no other individual is available.
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Radiological Health: The art and science of protecting human beings from injury by radiation, and promoting better health through beneficial application of radiation.
Real Time Dosimeters: Devices for measuring radiation that offer real time dose and dose rate measurements.
Rem: Roentgen equivalent man. The product of the absorbed dose in tissue, quality factor, and all other necessary modifying factors at the location of interest. "Unit of dose equivalent" (1 rem=0.01 sievert)
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TLD: Thermoluminescent Dosimeter - a small device used to measure radiation.
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