Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters developed originally for personal monitoring were applied to estimate ambient dose equivalent of local residents from natural environment. The OSL dosimeters were left indoors or outdoors in the Tokyo area.
The radiation doses were measured every 3 months from July 2001 to June 2002. The yearly average was 0.59 mSv, which coincided with other reported values. Outdoor doses were a little higher than indoor ones. The doses varied depending on the structure of houses. It was concluded that the OSL dosimeters can be used to monitor the doses due to environmental radiation.