Elements of a portable radiation detector calibration program.
The Department of Environmental Health & Safety at San Diego State University (SDSU) calibrates portable radiation detectors as a service to the university's research community. SDSU's calibration program was developed and implemented based on selected recommendations provided by the American National Standards Institute and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. This paper outlines the elements of the calibration program including, technical references and the rationale for program development. Covered under the provisions of this paper include those instruments used to evaluate the dose rates from radioactive materials and those instruments used to determine radioactive contamination or uptake. Those detectors specifically not addressed are liquid scintillation counters, semi-conductors, neutron dose rate instruments, and instruments intended for quantifying dose rates due to beta emission.