Glossary Terms

A service that systematically measures and/or records workers’ radiation doses, usually by means of personal dosimeters.

The portion of the dose equivalent received from radiation outside the body.

For purposes of external exposure, hand, elbow, arm below the elbow, foot, knee, leg below the knee.

The external exposure of the lens of the eye and is taken as the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.3 centimeter.

Dosimeter supplied to a declared pregnant radiation worker to monitor radiation dose to the fetus for the term of the pregnancy.

Excessive material on plastic, usually occurring at the mold parting lines.

High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by certain radionuclides when their nuclei transition from a higher to a lower energy state. These rays have high energy and a short wave length. All gamma rays emitted from a given isotope have the same energy, a characteristic that enables scientists to identify which gamma emitters are present in a

Radiation composed of particles that individually carry enough kinetic energy to liberate an electron from an atom or molecule, ionizing it. Ionizing radiation is generated through nuclear reactions, either artificial or natural, by very high temperature (e.g. plasma discharge or the corona of the Sun), via production of high energy particles in particle accelerators, or

Lifetime accumulated dosage

A millirem (mrem) is one thousandth of a rem. Millirem (mrem) is often used for the dosages commonly experienced, such as the amount of radiation received from medical x-rays and background sources.