Purpose: Standard DIN EN 61 331-1 for attenuation measurements in the narrow and broad beam as well as DIN 6857-1 for the determination of shielding properties in the inverse broad-beam geometry are available for testing the attenuation of protection clothing. The attenuation measurements in the narrow beam don't consider scattered radiation and fluorescence due to the arrangement. This leads to the fact that the protective effect of lead-free materials will be misestimated when compared to lead. Therefore, the differences in attenuation equivalents, determined by both test methods for topical radiation protection aprons, were examined. Materials and Methods: The attenuations in inverse broad-beam geometry according to DIN 6857-1 and in the narrow beam according to DIN EN 61 331-1 were measured using commercially available aprons. They were made of lead, lead-reduced and lead-free materials. For determination of the attenuation equivalents, certificated lead-foils with high purity and a precise thickness of 0.1 to 1.25 mm were used. Results: The measurements in the narrow beam according to DIN EN 61 331-1 showed that nearly all aprons reach the required lead equivalent at mid-range tube voltages of 100 kV. At higher and lower tube voltages, the requirements of DIN EN 61 331-3 were largely not met. In contrast, the testing of the same aprons in inverse broad-beam geometry according to DIN 6857-1 showed that only a few aprons meet the requirements for being classified in the nominal protection class. Conclusion: The measurements suggest that testing method DIN 6857-1 has yet to prevail and that manufacturers are just beginning to develop the appropriate protective materials.
