ARPANSA - Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

This Page:

• Medical and Non-Medical X-Ray Equipment
• Radon Measuring Equipment
• Radiofrequency Radiation Measuring Instruments
• Radiotherapy Calibrations
• Diagnostic and Protection-Level Calibrations
• ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs Beams (Teletherapy Sources)
• The Use of ⁶⁰Co Calibration Factors in Megavoltage Radiotherapy Dosimetry
• Interim Changes To The Australian Low-Energy X-Ray Standard
• Ultraviolet Radiation Measuring Equipment

Medical and Non-Medical X-Ray Equipment

ARPANSA tests X-ray equipment for compliance with most protocols such as Australian Standards, ARPANSA codes and safety guides and state requirements. We also evaluate X-ray equipment for safety and effectiveness and assess the attenuation properties of shielding materials (eg lead loaded plastic and glass sheeting, protective aprons, gloves and lead glasses) to Australian Standards requirements. Contact our Medical Physics Section for assistance.

Radon Measuring Equipment

ARPANSA maintains a radon chamber for calibration of radon monitoring equipment used in uranium mines. Contact our Health Physics Section for assistance.

Radiofrequency Radiation Measuring Instruments

ARPANSA calibrates radiofrequency hazard meters,gauss meters ,and personal RF hazard meters. We also take measurements related to hazard assessment.

Radiotherapy Calibrations

ARPANSA provides calibrations of therapy dosemeters at ⁶⁰Co and various orthovoltage x-ray qualities. These calibrations can are suitable for use in conjunction with a Code of Practice to measure the absorbed dose to water in a radiotherapy beam.

The following fact sheets explain the use of ARPANSA calibration factors in radiotherapy dosimetry:

• Use of ⁶⁰ Co Calibration Factors in Megavoltage Radiotherapy Dosimetry (written before TRS-398 was adopted in Australasia and concerns the use of air kerma and absorbed dose to water calibration factors with the ACPSEM protocol, based on TRS-277/381)
• Interim Changes To The Australian Low-Energy X-Ray Standard (concerns changes to the 20-50 kV x-ray standard)
• Specifying the polarity of the polarizing voltage of an ionization chamber (described different types of electrometers and discusses the ambiguous specification of the polarizing voltage, eg -300V on one electrometer may be the same as +300V on another)

Diagnostic and Protection-Level Calibrations

Calibrations of diagnostic and protection level equipment.

⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs Beams (Teletherapy Sources)

Reference standard dosemeters are calibrated for Australian radiotherapy dosimetry centres against Australian standards of air kerma and absorbed dose to water. Irradiations of arbitrary materials can be made to specified doses.

The Use of ⁶⁰Co Calibration Factors in Megavoltage Radiotherapy Dosimetry

Describes the use of 60Co exposure, air kerma and absorbed dose to water calibration factors, together with current dosimetry protocols, to obtain calibration factors for dosemeters used in megavoltage external beam radiotherapy.

Interim Changes To The Australian Low-Energy X-Ray Standard

ARPANSA maintains two standards for air kerma for X-rays. A medium-energy free air chamber (MEFAC) is used for the measurement of beams generated by tube potentials in the range 50 – 300 kV, and a low-energy free-air chamber (LEFAC) is used in the range 20 – 70 kV. For many years these chambers have been the Australian primary standards of air kerma. The majority of calibrations performed by ARL/ARPANSA are traceable to the MEFAC, however some low energy calibrations are traceable to the LEFAC.

Ultraviolet Radiation Measuring Equipment

Contact the UV Section for spectroradiometric analysis calibrations of detectors and light sources against National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable standard lamps. We provide a detailed report for each instrument calibrated.

The calibrations provided are:

• Spectral Irradiance Measurements: Absolute irradiance (W/m2) or (W/m2.nm) for any light source.
• Spectral Transmission Measurements: Absolute transmission (%T) for any filter or optical materials.
• Irradiance Response: Calibration factors of detectors for various UVR light sources.

Contact the UV Section for assistance.

 

 

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