Neutron spectrometry and dosimetry measurements made at nuclear power stations with derived dosemeter responses

Neutron spectrometry measurements have been made in the working environments of three UK Nuclear Electric Magnox power stations, and of a PWR at Gosgen, Switzerland, using a high resolution spectrometry system based on high sensitivity cylindrical proton recoil counters and an alpha recoil counter. Multispheres were used to obtain dose equivalent information below the lower energy limit (∼ 50 keV) of the recoil counter system. The derived H*(10) spectra show that, in general, the dose equivalent arises mainly from neutrons in two energy regions: thermal to 10 eV; and 10 keV to 1 MeV, although in certain situations a major contribution may arise from thermal neutrons. Quality factors for the H*(10) dose equivalent are derived and compared with the proposed ICRP 60 (1990) radiation weighting factors. The measured spectra are also interpreted in terms of the response of several individual (personnel) dosemeters and survey instruments. (author)