Physical dosimetry reconstructions of significant radiation exposure at an industrial accelerator facility in Tianjin (China).

The goal of this thesis is to estimate the physical radiation doses for two victims who were accidently exposed to an industrial electron beam at an industrial accelerator facility on 7 July 7 2016 in Tianjin, China. On the basis of the radiation source parameters, irradiation situation and irradiation time, physical dose reconstruction was carried out at the accident site by using a Bottle-Manikin-Absorption (BOMAB) phantom and an Alderson Radiation Therapy (ART) phantom. With thermoluminscent dosimeters (TLDs), skin estimation was conducted for the feet, calves, upper arms, left side of the body and neck, and the mean dose was estimated to be 14.1 ± 5.6 Gy. The foot and leg skin received the highest dose, which was >16.3 Gy. In addition, the mean dose estimated for the eye lens was 0.18 ± 0.07 Gy. The organ effective dose estimated and the total organs effective dose estimated were 0.46-4.94 mSv and 0.21 Sv, respectively. In the course of the accident, the damage caused by the electron radiation field to the exposed person was mainly to the skin, and the contributions to other radiation-sensitive organs were small. The damage to the organs other than the skin was mainly caused by the X-rays generated by the bremsstrahlung of the electron beam from the environment or the human body.

Effects of water on fingernail electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a promising biodosimetric method, and fingernails are sensitive biomaterials to ionizing radiation. Therefore, kinetic energy released per unit mass (kerma) can be estimated by measuring the level of free radicals within fingernails, using EPR. However, to date this dosimetry has been deficient and insufficiently accurate. In the sampling processes and measurements, water plays a significant role. This paper discusses many effects of water on fingernail EPR dosimetry, including disturbance to EPR measurements and two different effects on the production of free radicals. Water that is unable to contact free radicals can promote the production of free radicals due to indirect ionizing effects. Therefore, varying water content within fingernails can lead to varying growth rates in the free radical concentration after irradiation-these two variables have a linear relationship, with a slope of 1.8143. Thus, EPR dosimetry needs to be adjusted according to the water content of the fingernails of an individual. When the free radicals are exposed to water, the eliminating effect will appear. Therefore, soaking fingernail pieces in water before irradiation, as many researchers have previously done, can cause estimation errors. In addition, nails need to be dehydrated before making accurately quantitative EPR measurements.

TWO FACTORS INFLUENCING DOSE RECONSTRUCTION IN LOW DOSE RANGE: THE VARIABILITY OF BKG INTENSITY ON ONE INDIVIDUAL AND WATER CONTENT.

A fast and accurate retrospective dosimetry method for the triage is very important in radiation accidents. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) fingernail dosimetry is a promising way to estimate radiation dose. This article presents two factors influencing dose reconstruction in low dose range: the variability of background signal (BKG) intensity on one individual and water content. Comparing the EPR spectrum of dried and humidified fingernail samples, it is necessary to add a procedure of dehydration before EPR measurements, so as to eliminate the deviation caused by water content. Besides, the BKGs of different fingers' nails are not the same as researchers thought previously, and the difference between maximum and minimum BKG intensities of one individual can reach 55.89 %. Meanwhile, the variability of the BKG intensity among individuals is large enough to impact precise dose reconstruction. Water within fingernails and instability of BKG are two reasons that cause the inaccuracy of radiation dose reconstruction in low-dosage level.

Determining Dosimetric Properties and Lowest Detectable Dose of Fingernail Clippings from their Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Signal.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dosimetric properties and the lowest detectable dose of fingernails from their electron paramagnetic resonance signal. Fingernail clippings from 50 healthy individuals were collected, rinsed in water, and irradiated with (137)Cs gamma rays. Next, their electron paramagnetic resonance spectra were measured before and after exposure. The radiation-induced signal from the irradiated fingernails was relatively stable even after 68 d. Further, the intensity of the radiation-induced signal increased with progressive increases in the dose until saturation, while the background signal from the irradiated fingernails increased only gradually with time. The lowest detectable dose of the irradiated fingernails was 2 Gy. On the basis of these results, it can be concluded that the effect of the intrinsic signal must be taken into account during dose reconstruction. This electron paramagnetic resonance assessment method should be useful for the rapid screening of irradiated populations after nuclear accidents.

The study of external dose rate and retained body activity of patients receiving 131I therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Radiation safety is an integral part of targeted radionuclide therapy. The aim of this work was to study the external dose rate and retained body activity as functions of time in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients receiving 131I therapy. Seventy patients were stratified into two groups: the ablation group (A) and the follow-up group (FU). The patients' external dose rate was measured, and simultaneously, their retained body radiation activity was monitored at various time points. The equations of the external dose rate and the retained body activity, described as a function of hours post administration, were fitted. Additionally, the release time for patients was calculated. The reduction in activity in the group receiving a second or subsequent treatment was more rapid than the group receiving only the initial treatment. Most important, an expeditious method was established to indirectly evaluate the retained body activity of patients by measuring the external dose rate with a portable radiation survey meter. By this method, the calculated external dose rate limits are 19.2, 8.85, 5.08 and 2.32 µSv·h-1 at 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 m, respectively, according to a patient's released threshold level of retained body activity <400 MBq. This study is beneficial for radiation safety decision-making.

Comparison study of tooth enamel ESR spectra of cows, goats and humans.

The ESR radiation dosimetric properties of tooth enamel samples from cows and goats were investigated and compared with those of human samples. Samples were prepared first mechanically, and then chemically. The study results showed that the native signals from cow and goat samples were weaker than those from human samples; the radiation sensitivities for cow and goat samples were very close to those of human tooth enamel samples. These results indicated that cow and goat teeth could be alternative materials for radiation dose estimation.