Radiation Monitoring Devices

Radiation monitoring devices are used to detect radioactivity in an environment or to record cumulative dose rates received by radiation workers. Radiation is transmitted through waves or particles, and monitoring devices that recognize both forms of energy offer reliable detection of radioactivity and radiation dose rates. To detect or measure radiation, you should first determine which monitoring device or devices to use.

Survey Meters

• Survey meters are used to measure the level of radiation contamination, radiation dose rate, or both. The determination of the level of radiation contamination is often the most important measurement in emergencies. Survey meters will not detect very low energy betas, such as those from tritium and they may also miss alpha contamination if any type of shielding is present, such as gauze or a thin layer of blood. Examples of survey meters include Geiger-Mueller instruments, ionization chamber instruments and scintillation instruments.

Laboratory Counters

• Laboratory counters are used to identify and measure the quantity of radiation in materials. Relatively sophisticated lab equipment, these devices are used in medicine to analyze radioactive samples collected from a patient's clothes. Common examples of laboratory counters include alpha and gamma ray spectrometers.

Personal Dosimeters

• Personal dosimeters are used to measure the accumulated radiation dose to an individual. Radiation workers or guests wear dosimeters, which come in two types -- direct and indirect dosimeters. Direct dosimeters are sometimes pocket dosimeters, while types of indirect dosimeters include film and chemiluminescent dosimeters. These devices are cost effective.

Other Types of Monitoring Devices

• Lead paint analyzers, which are normally used to measure the amount of lead in paints, can also be used to monitor radiation. A newly developed device called a non-destructive assay meter is now often used to monitor radiation in the nuclear energy industry.