Performance of a radiophotoluminescence (RPL) system in environmental and area monitoring

HIGHLIGHTS• RPL, TLD and EDIS-1 dosimeters for H*(10) were compared • RPL detection limit was • RPL response is linear up to at least 100 mSv, with less than 15% deviation • RPL doses agreed with conventional true values in intercomparisons • The results demonstrated equivalence between RPL, TLD and EDIS-1 dosimeters The objective of this work was to perform an extensive side-by-side comparison between a radiophotoluminescence (RPL) dosimetry system and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) or EDIS-1™ Environmental Direct Ion Storage Dosimeters during environmental and area monitoring. The measurement locations include points around and within the perimeter of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and nearby facilities. These data are complemented by a study on the RPL detection limit, uncertainty and dose linearity, as well as two intercomparisons of environmental dosimeters, a Swiss intercomparison organized by PSI and an international intercomparison organized by the German National Metrology Institute (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB, Germany). The laboratory irradiations show that the detection limit of the RPL dosimeters is < 50 μSv if the time between pre-dose measurement and readout is < 200 days, and the response is linear up to at least 100 mSv with less than 15% deviation from linearity, satisfying the requirements of the Swiss dosimetry ordinance. The RPL doses were more consistent than the TLD doses over time. The RPL system shows slightly lower doses (12–14%) in comparison with EDIS-1 dosimeters. The intercomparisons for passive environmental dosimeters in terms of H*(10) showed a good agreement between the RPL dose values and the conventional true values. Altogether, the results demonstrate the equivalence between RPL and the other dosimetry systems, providing support for the RPL adoption for environmental dosimetry.