Radiation exposure to handheld XRF operators analyzing glass

Abstract

The number one aim in radiation safety is to keep exposure as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). Still, there exist international and national regulations on occupational radiation safety, as well as institutional policies (e.g., ) limiting the amount of radiation a person should be exposed to in their work. Operating a handheld/portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer is not generally considered a highly risky endeavor in terms of radiation exposure, yet there is frustratingly little data available on the subject . This paper shares data from a real-life practical application and compares the radiation levels to an international safety standard, in order to contribute data where there seems to be a relative dearth, so that handheld XRF operators might inform themselves more fully about the risks associated with their work. This paper is limited, however, in that the tests are carried out on one type of material (glass) with one instrument with limited settings and at...