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The aim of the Acoustics and Ionising Radiation Metrology Programme is to enable all users in the UK to carry out measurements for acoustics, radiation dosimetry, radioactivity and neutrons to an accuracy that is fit for purpose and at the forefront of good practice internationally.
The key driver for the programme is quality of life: the safety and effectiveness of cancer therapy, the safety of the workforce and protection of the environment are major aspects of the work. Much of the programme is therefore concerned with developing the standards and infrastructure to meet changing regulatory requirements. Accurate measurement is necessary for improved access to markets for products, assessment of public nuisance, comparison with safe exposure limits, ensuring accurate diagnosis and effective therapy, and enabling accurate underwater positioning, mapping and detection.
Rapid technological developments are also driving measurement needs: new generations of instrumentation for acoustical measurement (based on micro-electro-mechanical systems) and radioactivity (micro-fluidic devices). Changing needs in the energy sector (for example, the measurement of noise from wind farms) and decommissioning the legacy nuclear sites also bring new challenges to metrology in these sectors.
The Programme is divided into 4 Technical Themes:
1. Acoustics
2. Radiation Dosimetry
3. Neutron Metrology
4. Radionuclide Metrology
This theme includes acoustical measurements to provide and develop internationally validated standards and measurement methods, for a wide range of applications including environmental noise, hearing screening of new-born babies, development of test protocols for digital hearing aids, and demonstration of compliance with regulations. Developing a new breed of low-cost measuring instruments such as MEMS with a measurement grade performance to meet the need of complex measurement challenges is one of the projects.
The dosimetry work enables the benefits of using ionising radiation in medicine and industry to be realised, while minimising the associated health risks, so that the radiation exposure of patients, workers and the general public is known to be within acceptable limits. In this theme there are projects to ensure continued traceability to primary standards of absorbed dose calorimeters for radiotherapy dosimetry for cancer patients. Also, primary standards of absorbed dose will be developed and disseminated at industrial dose levels in order to meet the requirements of the EU Medical Devices Directive, UK/EU Food Irradiation Regulations and FDA regulations
Projects in this theme will ensure that a neutron spectrometry capability is available to evaluate neutron doses correctly in all fields regardless of the energy distribution and to make quantitative estimates of the degree of misreading by area and personal dosimeters.
In this theme existing measurement systems will be upgraded and expanded to allow improved measurements of radionuclides, in particular those which are difficult using existing equipment. Primary standardisations of radionuclides will be carried out, to meet obligations to link radioactivity measurements in the UK to the international measurement system. Standardisations will be carried out on radionuclides being introduced to the field of nuclear medicine. Also, a photon emitting large area reference source standard will be maintained.
