Radiation Protection Glossary

A radiation protection glossary for Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPS), Radiation Protection Advisers (RPA) and anyone else interesting in radiation safety terms and definitions. The glossary is a mixture of health physics , phrases related to radiation protection legislation, transport, practical safety, technical terms and similar.

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Thermo Luminescent Dosimeter (TLD)

The thermo Luminescent Dosimeter (TLD) is a type of Passive Dosimeter which is used to measure exposure from Ionising Radiation. It is one of a number of methods used in the area of Dosimetry. The TLD consists of a crystal (e.g. CaSO4) which gives off light when heated, the light being proportional to the degree of exposure seen by the TLD. The crystal is usually placed in a holder which contains filters which can be used to differentiate between skin doses and penetrating doses of ionising radiation. The TLD is normally worn on the trunk of the body but can also be worn on the extremities (e.g. for measuring doses to the fingers).

Physics is really nothing more than a search for ultimate simplicity, but so far all we have is a kind of elegant messiness

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