ISO/ASTM 51900:2023

Guidance for dosimetry for radiation research

ISO 51900:2009 applies to the minimum requirements for dosimetry needed to conduct research on the effect of radiation on food and agricultural products. Such research includes establishment of the quantitative relationship between absorbed dose and the relevant effects in these products. ISO 51900:2009 also describes the overall requirement for dosimetry in such research, and in reporting of the results. It is necessary that dosimetry be considered as an integral part of the experiment. ISO 51900:2009 applies to research conducted using the following types of ionizing radiation: gamma radiation, X-ray (bremsstrahlung), and electron beams. The purpose of ISO 51900:2009 is to ensure that the radiation source and experimental methodology are chosen such that the results of the experiment will be useful and understandable to other scientists and regulatory agencies. ISO 51900:2009 describes dosimetry requirements for establishing the experimental method and for routine experiments; however, ISO 51900:2009 is not intended to limit the flexibility of the experimenter in the determination of the experimental methodology. ISO 51900:2009 includes tutorial information in the form of notes. ISO 51900:2009 does not include dosimetry requirements for installation qualification or operational qualification of the irradiation facility.

Lignes directrices de la dosimétrie pour la recherche dans le domaine de l’irradiation

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 03-Apr-2023
• ICS: 17.240 - Radiation measurements
• ICS: 67.020 - Processes in the food industry
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 85 - Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 85 - Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection
• Current Stage: 9560 - Close of voting
• Start Date: 02-Jan-2025
• Due Date: 03-Jan-2025
• Completion Date: 03-Jan-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO/ASTM 51900:2009 - Guide for dosimetry in radiation research on food and agricultural products
• Effective Date: 17-Jul-2021

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO/ASTM
STANDARD 51900
Third edition
2023-04
Guidance for dosimetry for
radiation research
Lignes directrices de la dosimétrie pour la recherche dans le
domaine de l’irradiation
Reference number
© ISO/ASTM International 2023
© ISO/ASTM International 2023
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO/ASTM International 2023 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
1 Scope. 1
2 Referenced documents. 1
3 Terminology. 2
4 Significance and use. 3
5 Irradiation facilities and modes of operation. 4
6 Radiation source characteristics. 5
7 Dosimetry systems. 5
8 Irradiator characterization. 6
9 Sample or product dose mapping. 6
10 Dosimetry during experimentation. 7
11 Documentation. 8
12 Measurement uncertainty. 8
13 Keywords. 8
Table 1 Examples of routine dosimeters (see ISO/ASTM 52628). 6
© ISO/ASTM International 2023 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any
patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on
the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by ASTM Committee E61, Radiation processing (as ASTM E1900-97), and
drafted in accordance with its editorial rules. It was assigned to Technical Committee ISO/TC 85,
Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies and radiation protection.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv © ISO/ASTM International 2023 – All rights reserved

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Standard Guidance for
Dosimetry for Radiation Research
This standard is issued under the fixed designation ISO/ASTM 51900; the number immediately following the designation indicates the
year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.
1. Scope radiation source and experimental methodology are chosen
such that the results of the experiment will be useful and
1.1 This document covers essential recommendations for
understandable to other scientists and regulatory agencies. The
dosimetry needed to conduct research on the effects of ionizing
total uncertainty in the absorbed-dose measurement results and
radiation on materials, products and biological samples. Such
theabsorbed-dosevariationwithintheirradiatedsampleshould
research includes establishment of the quantitative relationship
be taken into account in the interpretation of the research
between absorbed dose and the relevant effects.This document
results (see ISO/ASTM Guide 51707).
also describes the overall need for dosimetry in such research,
and for reporting of the results. Dosimetry should be consid- 1.5 This document is one of a set of standards that provides
ered an integral part of the experiment, and the researcher is recommendations for properly implementing dosimetry in
responsible for ensuring the accuracy and applicability of the radiation processing, and describes a means of achieving
dosimetry system used. compliance with the requirements of ISO/ASTM 52628. This
document is thus intended to be read in conjunction with
NOTE 1—For research involving food products, note that the Codex
ISO/ASTM 52628.
Alimentarius Commission has developed an international General Stan-
dard and a Code of Practice that address the application of ionizing
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
radiation to the treatment of foods and which strongly emphasizes the role
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
of dosimetry for ensuring that irradiation will be properly performed (1).
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
NOTE 2—This document includes tutorial information in the form of
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
Notes. Researchers should also refer to the references provided at the end
of the standard, and other applicable scientific literature, to assist in the mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
experimental methodology as applied to dosimetry (2-5).
1.7 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
1.2 This document covers research conducted using the
following types of ionizing radiation: gamma radiation (typi- ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
cally from Cobalt-60 or Cesium-137 sources), X-radiation
(bremsstrahlung, typically with energies between 50 keV and mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
7.5 MeV), and electrons (typically with energies ranging from
80 keV to more than 10 MeV). See ISO/ASTM 51608, 51649,
2. Referenced documents
51818 and 51702.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
1.3 This document describes dosimetry recommendations
E2232 Guide for Selection and Use of Mathematical Meth-
for establishing the experimental method. It does not include
ods for Calculating Absorbed Dose in Radiation Process-
dosimetry recommendations for installation qualification or
ing Applications
operational qualification of the irradiation facility. These sub-
E3083 Terminology Relating to Radiation Processing: Do-
jects are treated in ISO/ASTM 51608, 51649, 51818 and
simetry and Applications
51702.
2.2 ISO/ASTM Standards:
1.4 This document is not intended to limit the flexibility of
51205 Practice for Use of a Ceric-Cerous Sulfate Dosimetry
the researcher in the determination of the experimental meth-
System
odology. The purpose of the document is to ensure that the
51026 Practice for Using the Fricke Dosimetry System
51261 Practice for Calibration of Routine Dosimetry Sys-
tems for Radiation Processing
This document is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee E61 on Radiation
51275 Practice for Use of a Radiochromic Film Dosimetry
Processing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E61.04 on Specialty
Application, and is also under the jurisdiction of ISO/TC 85/WG 3. System
Current edition approved Dec. 23, 2022. Published January 2023. Originally
published asASTM E1900–97. The present Third Edition of International Standard
ISO/ASTM 51900:2022(E) is a major revision of the Second Edition of ISO/ASTM For referenced ASTM and ISO/ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website,
51900:2009(E). www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the bibliography at the end of this Annual Book of ASTM Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s
document. Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
© ISO/ASTM International 2023 – All rights reserved
51276 Practice for Use of a Polymethylmethacrylate Dosim- 2.6 NPL Report:
etry System CIRM 29 : Guidelines for the Calibration of Routine Dosim-
51310 Practice for Use of a Radiochromic Optical Wave- eters for use in Radiation Processing, Sharpe, P., and
guide Dosimetry System Miller, A., September, 2009.
51538 Practice for Use of the Ethanol-Chlorobenzene Do-
3. Terminology
simetry System
51607 Practice for Use of the Alanine-EPR Dosimetry Sys-
3.1 Definitions:
tem
3.1.1 absorbed dose (D)—quotient of dε by dm, where dε is
¯ ¯
51608 Practice for Dosimetry in an X-ray (Bremsstrahlung)
the mean energy imparted by ionizing radiation to matter of
Facility for Radiation Processing
incremental mass dm (ICRU 85a), thus
51649 Practice for Dosimetry in an Electron Beam Facility
D5 dε¯/dm (1)
forRadiationProcessingatEnergiesbetween300keVand
3.1.1.1 Discussion—TheSIunitofabsorbeddoseisthegray
25 MeV
(Gy),where1grayisequivalenttotheabsorptionof1jouleper
51650 Practice for Use of Cellulose Triacetate Dosimetry
kilogram of the specified material (1 Gy = 1 J/kg).
System
3.1.1.2 Discussion—For the purposes of this standard, the
51702 Practice for Dosimetry in a Gamma Facility for
term dose is used to mean “absorbed dose”.
Radiation Processing
3.1.2 absorbed-dose mapping—measurement of absorbed
51707 Guide for Estimating Uncertainties in Dosimetry for
dose within an irradiated product to produce a one-, two- or
Radiation Processing
three-dimensionaldistributionofabsorbeddose,thusrendering
51818 Guide for Dosimetry in an Electron Beam Facility for
a map of absorbed-dose values.
RadiationProcessingatEnergiesBetween80and300keV
˙
51956 Practice for Use of Thermoluminescence Dosimetry 3.1.3 absorbed-dose rate D—quotient of dD by dt, where
dD is the increment of absorbed dose in the time interval dt
(TLD) Systems for Radiation Processing
52116 Practice for Dosimetry for a Self-Contained Dry- (ICRU 85a), thus
Storage Gamma Irradiator
˙
D5 dD/dt (2)
52303 Practice for Absorbed-Dose Mapping in Radiation
3.1.3.1 Discussion—
Processing Facilities
-1
(1) The SI unit is Gy·s . However, the absorbed-dose rate
52628 Practice for Dosimetry in Radiation Processing
is often specified in terms of its average value over longer time
52701 Guide for Performance Charcterization of Dosimeters
-1 -1
intervals, for example, in units of Gy·min or Gy·h .
and Dosimetry Systems for Use in Radiation Processing
(2) In gamma industrial irradiators, dose rate may be
2.3 International Commission on Radiation Units and Mea-
significantly different at different locations where product is
surements (ICRU) Reports:
irradiated.
ICRU 80 Dosimetry Systems for Use in Radiation Process-
(3) In electron-beam irradiators with pulsed or scanned
ing
beam, there are two types of dose rate: average value over
ICRU 85a Fundamental Quantities and Units for Ionizing
several pulses (scans) and instantaneous value within a pulse
Radiation
(scan). These values can be significantly different.
2.4 ISO Standard:
3.1.4 bremsstrahlung—broad-spectrum electromagnetic ra-
12749-4 Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radio-
diation emitted when an energetic charged particle is influ-
logical protection – Vocabulary – Part 4: Dosimetry for
enced by a strong electric or magnetic field, such as that in the
radiation processing
vicinity of an atomic nucleus.
2.5 Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM)
3.1.5 dose uniformity ratio—ratio of the maximum to the
Reports:
minimum
...