An evaluation of occupational health and safety changes to eye lens dose in nuclear medicine and interventional departments of Lower Mainland Medical Imaging

The eye lens is particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation, and workplace exposures may potentially contribute to cataract development. This paper summarizes unattenuated eye lens dose readings within seven hospitals under the jurisdiction of Lower Mainland Medical Imaging. Unattenuated dose readings were captured from eye lens and collar dosimeters. An attenuated chest dose reading was also captured for comparison and model building. Unattenuated and attenuated dose readings above the limit of detection were analyzed for participants of two similarly exposed groups (Lower Mainland Nuclear Medicine and Lower Mainland Interventional), as determined by duration and proximity (less than one metre) to ionizing radiation. The median unattenuated eye lens dose readings for all participants were below WorkSafeBC’s eye lens exposure limits. Readings from Lower Mainland Nuclear Medicine were particularly low and did not approach action limits. Lower Mainland Interventional included readings which exceeded the internal quarterly action limit of 6.25 milliSieverts. Finally, unattenuated collar dose readings moderately explained the variance in unattenuated eye lens dose readings.Medicine, Faculty ofPopulation and Public Health (SPPH), School ofGraduat