Analysis of Radiation Exposure Level on Linen and Other Objects in Patient Rooms at Nuclear Medicine Installation

Abstract

Analysis of radiation contamination levels has been carried out using an Atomtex surveymeter in the patient rooms after thyroid cancer ablation therapy, in the Nuclear Medicine Installation, Abdoel Wahab Sjahranie Hospital. This study aims to measure the level of radiation exposure based on the rate of radiation exposure and radiation contamination of objects in the patient rooms after ablation therapy, and to find out how long linen can be washed since the first measurement. Data collection was carried out once a week, on the same weekday, for five weeks for objects in the patient rooms by using the surveymeter at a fixed distances from the objects’ surfaces. Radiation contamination measurements for linen items were carried out for 3 d by aiming the surveymeter to container containing linen items from certain distances. Based on this study, the level of radiation exposure obtained is categorized as low because the value range is below 10 μSv/h. The radiation contamination for some objects are categorized as low-level exposure because the value is less than 3.7 Bq/cm2. Other objects tend to be in the moderate-level category because the value is more than 3.7 Bq/cm2 and less than 37 Bq/cm2. The values obtained refer to the standard issued by BATAN. It can be concluded that the patient rooms in the Nuclear Medicine Installation of Abdoel Wahab Sjahranie Hospital are safe.