Radiation Badges to Use Based On Your Specific Work Needs

There are many different types of dosimeters on the market these days. Specialization has allowed for some dosimeters to make more sense than others based on needs present in the workplace. In this article, we'll review the purpose and benefit of different types of dosimeters, and why you should consider using them for your organization. 

We hope you find this article informative, and as always, we look forward to hearing your feedback! 

What Is Ionizing Radiation? 

Ionizing radiation is a form of energy that causes the removal of electrons from atoms and molecules of materials. Ionizing radiation is able to travel unseen and passes freely through these materials in the form of waves or particles. There are five types of ionizing radiation: alpha particles, beta particles, neutrons, gamma rays (gamma radiation), and X-rays (electromagnetic radiation). 

Minimizing Radiation Exposure 

Radiation protection is critical to those working in environments where ionizing radiation is present. Minimizing radiation exposure is paramount to the safety of such workers. For this reason, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) established dose limits for occupational exposure for people working with radioactive material or ionizing radiation (i.e. X-ray imaging equipment and external beam radiation therapy). This dose limit functions as a form of radiation protection for personnel monitoring. It also helps prevent the possibility of a radiation incident. Be sure to work with your organization's radiation safety office to ensure you're following your company's radiation safety program to help minimize exposure. 

How To Measure Radiation Dose 

Normally those in contact with radioactive substances during the regular course of their employment (or those who have the potential to be exposed to radiation), carry personal dosimeters. These dosimeters are specifically designed to record and indicate a measure of the accumulated dose absorbed by the person. 

Most passive dosimeter badges are processed on a monthly or quarterly reporting period. The right cadence depends on the industry and work environment; higher-exposure and higher-risk environments, such as nuclear medicine and interventional radiology, usually call for monthly reporting. Lower-risk and lower-variability settings, like general dentistry offices, typically operate on quarterly reporting periods. A reputable monitoring service will help you set the right schedule based on industry requirements and the type of occupational exposure.

Why Lower Limit of Detection Matters

The lower limit of detection, or LLD, reflects how well a dosimeter can report dose accurately over time. LLD is not a static value, and it changes based on wear period/frequency. A reading of “zero” doesn’t always mean no exposure occurred – it could be that the reading may simply fall below the detection threshold.

For example, if a worker receives 5 mrem (0.05 mSv) of dose, a dosimeter with a higher LLD may round real exposure down to zero, and you lose visibility into the actual dose amount. Dose accumulates no matter how small the exposure amount, and small increments can compound over time.

RDC's TLD and OSL dosimeter badges both have an LLD of 1 mrem (0.01 mSv), which is among the lowest in the industry. In dental, veterinary, and outpatient settings where doses are usually low, a dosimeter's LLD helps ensure dose report accuracy.

LLD by Material

BeO demonstrates the lowest LLD across nearly all monitoring periods, with only a modest increase over time. Its strong long-term stability makes it especially attractive for extended wear and low-dose monitoring applications.

Al₂O₃:C provides excellent short-term sensitivity with very low LLDs at daily and monthly wear periods. However, its LLD increases more rapidly over longer monitoring durations compared with BeO.

LiF:Mg,Cu,P offers a balanced combination of sensitivity and long-term stability with moderate LLD growth over time. Its performance is significantly improved over traditional TLD materials and remains competitive for occupational dosimetry applications.

Types of Radiation Dosimeters 

Quick Reference: Which Badge for Which Setting

Hospital and imaging centers: OSL recommended for whole body monitoring, plus extremity rings for techs handling radiopharmaceuticals or working in fluoroscopy. Add a fetal badge for any declared pregnant worker. OSL re-readability supports audits, incident investigations, and regulatory documentation. Use TLDs where beta or mixed radiation types are present.

Nuclear medicine: OSL or TLD whole body monitoring, plus ring or wrist badges for hand exposure, and an eye lens badge for technologists working close to photon-only radionuclides like PET F-18.

Dental practices: TLD or OSL whole body monitoring are both appropriate for photon-only environments. Choose OSL if re-readability or long-term dose verification is a priority.

Veterinary clinics: TLD or OSL whole body monitoring are both appropriate for photon-only environments, plus extremity monitoring if staff hold animals during imaging. Choose OSL if re-readability or long-term dose verification is a priority.

Industrial NDT: Use TLD whole body monitoring with neutron capabilities when neutron radiation is present, plus area monitors at the perimeter of the work zone. TLD is ideal for mixed radiation types (photon, beta, and neutron), and reliable across varied conditions. OSLs are ideal for photon-only operations where precise tracking and re-readability are needed.

Active Dosimeter vs. Passive Dosimeter 

Active dosimeters measure instantaneous doses, provide a visual indication which can alert attention to possible exposure, and follow the variations of radiation exposure over time.

Passive dosimeters do not need an external source of energy to operate. They are also known as integrating dosimeters, which means they only give an estimate of the cumulative dose. Passive dosimeters record how much radiation an individual is exposed to over a specific period of time (i.e. a week, month, quarter, or year). 

Passive dosimeters are preferred in hospital settings and locations where occupational radiation workers are frequently exposed to low levels of radiation. These instruments are called “passive” dosimeters because they do not need to be continuously monitored. 

Digital dosimeters are the latest evolution in radiation monitoring. Instead of waiting for lab processing, badge wearers can see their dose on demand through a portal or mobile device. NetDose™ digital dosimeter is one example – it reads every hour, stores the data on board, and then transmits daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on configuration. NetDose™ eliminates the badge exchange cycle and gives radiation safety officers near real-time visibility into exposures.

Control Badges

A control badge is a passive dosimeter badge included in each shipment to capture background radiation during transit and while at the client site, which is then subtracted from the dose received by individual occupational dosimeters during processing at the dosimetry provider laboratory. Storing the control badge away from any radioactive materials or radiation-emitting equipment ensures the most accurate background exposure dose.

Most passive dosimetry programs include a control badge in every shipment. Newer digital dosimeters, like NetDose™, can identify environmental exposure with down-to-hourly dose granularity.

TLD Badges vs. OSL Badges 

Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) and optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSL) are the two primary types of radiation dosimeter used in passive dosimetry. While both Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) and Optically Stimulated Luminescent dosimeters (OSL) measure dose level, their main difference is optically stimulated luminescence requires only light stimulation, while a TLD requires heat in order to stimulate the detector. 

For more on the differences between and features of TLD and OSL dosimeters, please check out our Guide to Radiation Dosimeter Types: TLD, OSL, & Digital Technology Comparison.

TLD Whole Body 

Purpose

Our Standard Type 82 TLD-XBG badge or Type 83 TLD-XBGN badge for neutrons are used to monitor occupational exposure to a single individual working with radioactive materials. "Whole body” is considered to be the head, torso, arms above the elbow, or legs above the knee. 

Benefit

TLD whole body dosimeters have been a trusted technology for decades and are still highly effeicient today. 

OSL Whole Body 

Purpose

Like whole body TLD badges, OSL badges are generally worn on the collar, waist, or torso, with the label facing the source of the radiation. 

Benefit

A major benefit is OSL dosimeters provide for the possibility of repeated readout. This means that OSL dosimeters are often archived for multiple years and can be re-read, as the dose does not fade. OSL dosimeters can also be read with light (unlike a TLD dosimeter which must be heated), which helps simplify the design. Their low dose rate sensitivity is also a benefit. Finally, OSL dosimeters are not impacted by heat or water.  

Ring Badge 

Purpose

Our ORA™ extremity ring dosimeter badge is available for radiation workers whose job functions potentially require their arms, hands, and fingers to receive a higher exposure. 

Benefit

Ring badges can be used by veterinarians taking X-rays - i.e. having to hold the animal down during the exam. Accurately assesses personal dose equivalent at the site where it's worn. 

Wrist Badge 

Purpose

Our Standard Type 82 TLD-XBG badge or Type 83 TLD-XBGN badge for neutron is fitted with a velcro strap to be worn around the wrist. The wrist badge is available for radiation workers whose arms may receive a higher exposure, used due to dexterity issues, or even safety reasons. 

Benefit

Wrist badges are a viable alternative to ring badges, especially in nuclear medicine where the dose distribution on different locations of the hand differs. 

Eye Lens Badge

Purpose

An eye lens badge is worn near the eyes to capture dose to the lens itself. It is most often used in interventional radiology, cath labs, and nuclear medicine, where the operator's head is close to the radiation source.

Benefit

Lens dose is regulated separately from whole body dose. The NRC currently caps annual lens of eye dose at 15 rem (150 mSv), and the ICRP recommends a lower limit of 2 rem (20 mSv) per year, averaged over five years, and/or when nonuniform radiation fields are created by the use of shielding (lead aprons or other shielding devices). A lens of eye badge provides a defensible record that the wearer is staying inside both standards.

In the absence of an eye lens badge, an extremity dosimeter offers a good conservative surrogate for the lens of eye dose.

Fetal Monitoring Badge 

Purpose

Our Standard Type 82 TLD-XBG badge or Type 83 TLD-XBGN badge for neutron should be worn close to the embryo/fetus to obtain the most accurate dose. 

Benefit

Fetal monitors are available for pregnant radiation workers to ensure the fetus does not exceed 500 mrem for the entire gestational period or 50 mrem in a month. 

Area TLD 

Purpose

Area Monitors can be used to ensure that the public is not being exposed to more than 100 mrem/year from outside a room/building. 

Benefit

Monitors potential exposure to the public, as it is the responsibility of the company to prove that the public is not being exposed to more than the allowable dose limits.  Area Monitors can also be used to monitor occupational dose to employees in a room where the radiation source is located (or a room near a source, or dangerous radiation zone). 

Legal Dose of Record

A dosimeter only qualifies as a legal dose of record if it comes from an accredited laboratory.

Under NRC 10 CFR 20.1501(c), the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires all licensees to use personnel dosimetry that is processed and evaluated by a dosimetry processor that meets two conditions:

1. Holds current personnel dosimetry accreditation from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
2. Is approved under that accreditation for the type of radiation most closely approximating the radiation for which the individual wearing the dosimeter is monitored.

Before starting a service with a dosimetry provider, ask for the NVLAP Lab Code and confirm the badge type is approved for a legal dose of record. Radiation Detection Company is NVLAP-accredited under Lab Code 100512-0, and reports are uploaded to your MyRadCare™ customer account within 6 days of receiving the badges, so your records stay current.

Let RDC Help Choose The Correct Solution For Your Organization 

Radiation Detection Company has over 75 years of experience providing quality dosimetry service to over 41,000 companies worldwide. Need help understanding what dosimeters your organization needs? Please contact us, and our team will be happy to provide guidance.

Already monitoring radiation with another service provider? Switching should not disrupt monitoring or create unnecessary administrative burden. With SwitchAssist™, Radiation Detection Company handles your data transfer and ships your badges ahead of the end of your wear period, so the radiation monitoring program stays compliant. Most accounts complete onboarding in two weeks or less.

Need a question answered that we did not address in this article? Please reach out to our Customer Care team, and one of our specialists will be more than happy to help. 

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