Detection and determination limits for thermoluminescence dosimetry.

The statistical theory of detection and determination limits is applied to thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD), and equations are derived for calculating the limits. Three different levels of testing a TLD system are described, and a test procedure is given for each level. An example from a working system is presented, and the dependence of detection and determination limits on background radiation exposure is shown. The results show the importance of clearly defining the terms used to describe the low-dose performance of a TLD system.