Abstract
A widd variety of difficulties can arise in bringing a ics. whole body counting chair into operation for screening radiation workers. Problems can arise in the mechanical operation of the chair, in fabrication of phantom source bottles, and in calibrating the detectors. This project addressed all of these factors. Applied Physical Technology, Inc was once a manufacturer of whole body counting chairs. One of the chairs, Model WBC-6000 with three associated NaI(T1) detectors, was donated to Texas A&M University. In order to bring it into operation, physical repairs to the control box and emergency release mechanism were completed. The block phantom that accompanied the chair did not have source bottles. After establishing a set of procedures, several sets of source bottles were fabricated for use in the lung, Gl tract, and thyroid regions of the phantoms. With the radionuclide sources created, the equipment was assembled and a series of counts was performed in various source configurations. From the information collected in the counts, all three of the detectors were calibrated according to the guidelines established in ANSI N 13.30 and NCRP Report 57, using guidance from NUREG 8.9. The primary results of this project were: 1) a knowledge of how to establish procedures for generating radionuclides and manipulating the activities for use as a phantom source; 2) an intimate knowledge of gamma spectroscopy, including the creation of calibration efficiencies; and 3) a calibrated whole body counting system capable of confidently measuring internal radioactive contamination in personnel.
Fairchild, Gregory R (1999). Problems associated with the establishment of a whole body counter at a university reactor. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1999 -THESIS -F35.