Radiation-field mapping of insect irradiation canisters

Dosimetry methods developed at NIST for mapping ionizing radiation fields were applied to canisters used in 137Cs dry-source irradiators designed for insect sterilization. The method of mapping the radiation fields inside of these canisters as they cycled through the gamma-ray irradiators involved the use of radiochromic films, which increase in optical density proportionately to the absorbed dose. A dosimeter film array in a cardboard phantom was designed to simulate the average insect pupae density and to map the dose within the full volume of the canister; the calibrated films were read using a laser scanning densitometer. Previously used dosimetric methods did not allow for the spatial resolution that is possible with these films. Results indicate that this dose-mapping technique is a powerful method of evaluating a variety of radiation fields of commercial radiation sources, with promising applications as a means of dose validation and quality control.