Monte Carlo modeling for individual monitoring.

Thanks to the continuously increasing computer power, Monte Carlo techniques are progressively playing a key role in radiation dosimetry, in the field of dose assessment from internal and external exposures. Internal dosimetry aspects are presented in a separate paper in the same issue. For external exposure, individual monitoring techniques provide suitable tools to estimate the personal dose equivalent Hp(d), that should be a conservative estimate of the effective dose. Personal dosemeters should be designed and type tested in terms of Hp(d) and also irradiations facilities should be characterised in terms of the same operational quantity. This paper provides a concise overview on the role played by monte Carlo techniques in the field.