A progress review on methods for in vivo measurement of 131I in thyroids by using portable gamma spectrometers

Abstract Iodine-131 is a highly toxic and volatile artificial radionuclide that is easily inhaled or ingested by the human body and selectively accumulates in thyroid tissue. With the development of nuclear medicine and nuclear power plants, the unintended release of 131I has been widely studied, and the in vivo measurement of 131I in the thyroid has become a research hotspot in the field of radiation protection. In recent decades, several methods and devices have been developed for in vivo measurements with respect to different measurement purposes and requirements. In this work, for more accurate determinations of individual 131I in the thyroid in the field, the uncertainties of measurements by using portable gamma spectrometers were reviewed and analyzed, and monitoring strategies for improving the accuracy were proposed and prospected.