Leena Joseph

National intercomparisons of 131I radioactivity measurements in nuclear medicine centres in India.

National intercomparisons of activity measurements of 131I, a radioisotope widely used for diagnosis and therapy of thyroid related ailments, were initiated in 1979 as a quality assurance program, towards improving radiation safety procedures and related dosimetry in Nuclear Medicine Centres (NMCs) in India. Oral administration of a known quantity of radioiodine to patients requires accurate radioactivity measurements to be performed on a well-calibrated isotope calibrators. Under or over estimation of the activity due to a faulty or uncalibrated isotope calibrator could provide misleading results. Calibration of isotope calibrators and the traceablity of subsequent measurements to the national standards laboratory is one of the essential basic radiation safety requirement of the IAEA. In view of the stringent quality assurance requirements for activity measurements imposed by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, a National Intercomparison Program was initiated and to date ten such intercomparison programs have been conducted by the Radiation Safety Systems Division, of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. This program has benefited the participants by making their measurements traceable to the National Primary Standards. Over the years there has been a marked increase in the number of NMCs participating in the intercomparison programs. As a result, the number of institution showing large deviation from the correct value has decreased considerably over the years. This program thus, has enabled participating NMCs to check their isotope calibrators so as to ensure proper delivery of radiation dose to the patients and hence to optimise patient exposure.

Improved estimation of the box-cox transform parameter and its application to hydrogeochemical data

AbstractThe standard Box and Cox generalized power transform of the form (xλ − l)/λ is applied to preprocess hydrogeochemical uranium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, sulphate, carbonate, vanadium, pH, and conductivity data. These data do not reduce to normal form at the optimum value λ obtained using the three objective functions as discussed by R. J. Howarth and S. A. M. Earle. We use an objective function based on the observed and theoretical normal frequencies of the transformed data: uranium and calcium data reduce to the desired normal form at the λ values obtained by optimizing this new merit function: vanadium data to approximate normal form: but potassium, chlorine, and sulphate data do not. The other elemental data follow lognormal form.The consequence of the Box and Cox transformation is that if a set of data is reducible to normal form, then the density distribution of the original untransformed data is given by,

Development of liquid scintillation based 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system and demonstration of its performance by standardization of 60Co

f(x) = \frac{1}{{\sigma \sqrt {2\prod {} } }}x^{\lambda - 1} e - \frac{{(\frac{{x^\lambda - 1}}{\lambda } - \mu )^2 }}{{2\sigma ^2 }}

Results of an international comparison of activity measurements of 68 Ge

where μ and σ are the mean and standard deviation of the transformed data and λ is obtained by optimization of the new merit function; an exception is potassium data.

Quality audit programme for 99mTc and 131I radioactivity measurements with radionuclide calibrators

A generally applicable protocol for organizing comparisons among nuclear medicine clinics created within the IAEA project CRP E2.10.05 was tested in Brazil, Cuba, Czech Republic, India, Iran, Republic of Korea, Romania and Turkey in 2007. Comparisons of measurement of (131)I were organized by local pilot laboratories with different backgrounds and levels of experience in this field. The results and experiences gained were compared and analyzed. A majority of results in each national comparison were within 10% of the reference value.

An automated LS(β)- NaI(Tl)(γ) coincidence system as absolute standard for radioactivity measurements

A single-vial, single-PMT 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system has been developed at the Radiation Safety Systems Division, BARC. It has advantages of simple sample preparation, higher counting efficiency and the absence of self absorption over the conventional proportional counter based 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system. The performance of the system is demonstrated by standardizing a (60)Co solution using the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system, 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system and CIEMAT/NIST method and comparing the results obtained by each method. The detection efficiency of liquid scintillation counter of the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system was varied by color quenching, by chemical quenching and by varying the bias voltage applied to the LSC PMT. For the proportional counter based 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system the detection efficiency was varied by source self absorption. The activity concentrations obtained using the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system, the 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system and the CIEMAT/NIST method are comparable within the uncertainty limits.

Performance demonstration of 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system for standardization of radionuclides with complex decay scheme.

The CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing method using ³H standard was implemented at Radiation Safety Systems Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for the standardization of ¹³¹I radioactive solution. Measurements were also carried out using the 4π β-γ coincidence counting system maintained as a primary standard at the laboratory. The implementation of the CIEMAT/NIST method was verified by comparing the activity concentration obtained in the laboratory with that of the average value of the APMP intercomparison (Yunoki et al., in progress, (APMP.RI(II)-K2.I-131)). The results obtained by the laboratory is linked to the CIPM Key Comparison Reference Value (KCRV) through the equivalent activity value of National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) (Yunoki et al., in progress, (APMP.RI(II)-K2.I-131)), which was the pilot laboratory for the intercomparison. The procedure employed to standardize ¹³¹I by the CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing technique is presented. The activity concentrations obtained have been normalized with the activity concentration measured by NMIJ to maintain confidentiality of results until the Draft-A report is accepted by all participants. The normalized activity concentrations obtained with the CIEMAT/NIST method was 0.9985 ± 0.0035 kBq/g and using 4π β-γ coincidence counting method was 0.9909 ± 0.0046 kBq/g as on 20 March 2009, 0 h UTC. The normalized activity concentration measured by the NMIJ was 1 ± 0.0024 kBq/g. The normalized average of the activity concentrations of all the participating laboratories was 1.004 ± 0.028 kBq/g. The results obtained in the laboratory are comparable with the other international standards within the uncertainty limits.

A primary standard for the measurement of alpha and beta particle surface emission rate from large area reference sources.

An international key comparison, identifier CCRI(II)-K2.Ge-68, has been performed. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) served as the pilot laboratory, distributing aliquots of a 68Ge/68Ga solution. Results for the activity concentration, CA, of 68Ge at a reference date of 12h00 UTC 14 November 2014 were submitted by 17 laboratories, encompassing many variants of coincidence methods and liquid-scintillation counting methods. The first use of 4π(Cherenkov)β-γ coincidence and anticoincidence methods in an international comparison is reported. One participant reported results by secondary methods only. Two results, both utilizing pure liquid-scintillation methods, were identified as outliers. Evaluation using the Power-Moderated Mean method results in a proposed Comparison Reference Value (CRV) of 621.7(11)kBqg-1, based on 14 results. The degrees of equivalence and their associated uncertainties are evaluated for each participant. Several participants submitted 3.6mL ampoules to the BIPM to link the comparison to the International Reference System (SIR) which may lead to the evaluation of a Key Comparison Reference Value and associated degrees of equivalence.