Introduction
Film badge is a device containing photographic film which registers worker's exposure to radiation. Film badges are used to measure radiation exposure to workers to monitor radiation safety and ensuring that they receive doses below the appropriate limit. Film badges are the cheapest and most common monitoring device.
The badge consists of two parts: photographic film, and a holder. The film emulsion is black and white photographic film with varying grain size to affect its sensitivity to incident radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays and beta particles.
After use by the wearer, the film is removed, developed, and examined to measure exposure. When the film is irradiated, an image of the protective case is projected on the film. Lower energy photons are attenuated preferentially by differing absorber materials. This property is used in film dosimetry to identify the energy of radiation to which the dosimeter was exposed. Some film dosimeters have three emulsions, one for low-dose and the other for high-dose measurements. These two emulsions can be on separate film substrates or on either side of a single substrate. Knowing the energy allows for accurate measurement of radiation dose.
2. Film badge service provider
Personnel monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran is mainly carried out by the use of Film Badge. The Parsian Radiation Dosimetry Service (PRDS), is the the first company in Iran which approved by the National Radiation Protection Department (Iranian Regulatory Authority) to provide film badges service from 2006 up to now. The film badge uesers of the PRDS are approximately 40000 radiation workers who works in 5000 centers (mainly in diagnostic radiologycenters).
The PRDS use Fomma Personnel Monitoring flims to provide services
3.User Guides
Film badge is issued to an individual who is occupationally exposed to radiation. It is for their use only and must not be used by any other individual or for any other purpose.
A photographic film must be used once only for the duration of its issue period. At the end of that period it must be returned promptly to the PRDS for assessment of the radiation dose that it has recorded. A new photographic film badge dosemeter is issued for the next period of the monitoring period (2months).
Records of the dose received by each occupationally exposed person who is issued with a personal monitoring device must be kept by the employer as required by article 15 of the Radiation Protection Regulation 1369.
Care must be taken with each personal monitoring device to ensure that it is not subjected to environmental conditions or mishandling which may affect its reading or damage the device. Factors that may cause adverse effects include mechanical impact and exposure to heat, chemicals or water.
4. Detection Limits
The minimum detectable photon doses by the film badge are:
0.12±0.04 mSv for photon high and
0.06±0.03 mSv for photon between 20 keV to 80 keV
5. Dose Range
0.01mSv to 1000mSv (photon energy between 20 keV to 80 keV )
0.20mSv to 20000 mSv(photon energy between 80 keV to 2 MeV)