dosimeter
dosimeter, instrument that measures exposure to ionizing radiation over a given period. There are three types of dosimeters worn by persons who work with or near sources of radiation. The film badge is the most popular and inexpensive. In it, photographic or dental X-ray film, wrapped in light-tight paper, is mounted in plastic. Badges are checked periodically, and the degree of exposure of the film indicates the cumulative amount of radiation to which the wearer has been exposed. Thermoluminescent dosimeters are nonmetallic crystalline solids that trap electrons when exposed to ionizing radiation and can be mounted and calibrated to give a reading of radiation level. The ion-chamber dosimeter, like the thermoluminescent one, is reusable, but it is self-reading for immediate determination of exposure.