History

Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen discovered the x-ray tube in 1895. He created a medical and scientific bombshell. The mysterious, invisible ray could pass through solid matter. The x-ray took a picture of the inside of the human body for the first time.

This new discovery quickly improved diagnostic medicine and surgery procedures. It also threatened human health, especially for people involved in the early years of researching radiation. Over exposure to x-rays led to radiation-induced illnesses such as tumours and anemia.

Protecting people from radiation

The earliest known pioneer of radiation protection was Boston Dentist, Dr. William Rollins. Between 1900 and 1904 Dr. Rollins developed a series of guidelines to protect people such as the use of radiation absorbing glasses; stand a minimum distance from the target to the film and the use of filters to remove unwanted radiation. Dr. Rollins also pioneered the use of lead as a barrier against radiation exposure.

Between 1925 and 1945, awareness and education grew. More stringent guidelines were developed. Various organizations formed to help protect people from radiation in North America and overseas.

How The National Dosimetry Services came to be

After the end of the Second World War, people used more atomic and nuclear materials for peacetime reasons, especially in medicine and research. The Government of Canada took measures to protect the public from exposure to radiation. They developed technologies to detect and measure ionizing radiation. The government gave information and advice to the public on how to properly use ionizing radiation and limit exposure.

In the early 50's the Health Radiation Section of the Industrial Health Division (later called the Occupational Health Division) took responsibility for most radiation monitoring. A short time later, the National Dosimetry Services began operations. In our first year, we used film technology to monitor exposure to radiation for less than 200 Canadians. In 1964, the unit moved into a new, specially constructed state-of-the-art laboratory building on Brookfield Road and was renamed Radiation Protection Division. We are still working out of this location today.

In 1977, NDS switched from film technology to thermoluminescence dosimetry. We continue to use this technology today. In 1994, we moved to a cost recovery business model to become fully reliant on our revenues to support our services.

We are now independent, not-for-profit service within the Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada