Using radiation damage to obtain a large quantity of matched-sensitivity thermoluminescent dosimeters

We used radiation damage to reduce the sensitivity of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) to match that of the working stock in our Dosimetry Laboratory. The mean sensitivity of the TLDs we altered fell within 1% of the stock mean and the distribution we obtained was much narrower than the +/- 10% limits on the working stock. By rejecting 1.5% of the test material, limits of +/- 5% could be established, thereby improving the precision of dosimetry measurements. The shapes of glow curves after irradiation remained unchanged. Our phototransferred thermoluminescence dose-reestimation procedure was still viable; however, the necessity for removing the TLDs' prior dose history became apparent, and we describe a procedure to handle this problem.     

Effect of variable doses of ultraviolet radiation (253.7 nm) on thermoluminescence NaCl:Ca(T) material

This paper studies the thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves of NaCl:Ca(T) phosphors to various doses of 253.7-nm ultraviolet (UV) radiation at room temperature. TLD grade NaCl:Ca(T) material was obtained by crystallization from solution and was subsequently annealed at 750 degrees C for 2 h, followed by sudden quenching. We undertook measurement of the effect of variable UV radiation doses (10(2) to 10(6) J m-2) on the TL behaviour of NaCl:Ca(T) phosphors. It was observed that the phosphor exhibits a dominant peak around 167 degrees C along with a weak peak at lower temperature. The high-temperature peak (Peak II) is found to grow linearly with the increase in UV dose in the range of 10(2) to 10(6) J m-2. Since the nature of the glow curves under the influence of different doses remains more or less identical, it is believed that the phosphor does not undergo radiation damage and displays high intrinsic TL around Peak II. Examination of the system for fundamental dosimetry requirements shows that it can be used in dosimetry work at 253.7 nm.     

Evaluation of GAFCHROMIC EBT2 dosimetry for the low dose range using a flat-bed scanner with the reflection mode

Recently developed radiochromic films can easily be used to measure absorbed doses because they do not need development processing and indicate a density change that depends on the absorbed dose. However, in GAFCHROMIC EBT2 dosimetry (GAF-EBT2) as a radiochromic film, the precision of the measurement was compromised, because of non-uniformity problems caused by image acquisition using a flat-bed scanner with a transmission mode. The purpose of this study was to improve the precision of the measurement using a flat-bed scanner with a reflection mode at the low absorbed dose dynamic range of GAF-EBT2. The calibration curves of the absorbed dose versus the film density for GAF-EBT2 were provided. X-rays were exposed in the range between ~0 and 120 mGy in increments of about 12 mGy. The results of the method using a flat-bed scanner with the transmission mode were compared with those of the method using the same scanner with the reflection mode. The results should that the determination coefficients (r ² ) for the straight-line approximation of the calibration curve using the reflection mode were higher than 0.99, and the gradient using the reflection mode was about twice that of the one using the transmission mode. The non-uniformity error that is produced by a flat-bed scanner with the transmission mode setting could be almost eliminated by converting from the transmission mode to the reflection mode. In light of these findings, the method using a flat-bed scanner with the reflection mode (only using uniform white paper) improved the precision of the measurement for the low absorbed dose range.     

Thermal neutron fluence measurement in a research reactor using thermoluminescence dosimeter TLD-600.

A thermal neutron fluence in the range between 10(11) and 10(13) n cm(-2) in the reactor core of the Tehran research reactor has been measured using TLD-600 thermoluminescence dosimeters. After a thermal treatment of 1 h at 400 degrees C followed by 20 h cooling down to room temperature of pre-exposed dosimeters in the reactor, the accumulated TL light was measured after periods of storage of 24, 48 and 72 h. The influence of the irradiation-induced damage effect on the response of TLDs and their subsequent readings has been minimized in this manner. The induced TL light due to self-activity in the TLD-600 dosimeters, which is dependent on the neutron fluence, caused a conveniently measurable TL glow curve. The induced TL in the dosimeter due to the Q-value for the beta-decay of tritium Ebeta-max = 18.6 keV has been reproduced separately by a beta source to check the proportions of radionuclides in the chip. A short theoretical treatment is also presented.     

Measuring the external exposure dose in the contaminated area near the Chernobyl nuclear power station using the thermoluminescence of quartz in bricks

We collected bricks from buildings in the heavily contaminated evacuated area of Belarus in a 30-km zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power station and the Gomel-Bryansk area of 150-250 km from Chernobyl and estimated the cumulative radiation dose caused by the reactor accident by measuring the thermoluminescence (TL) of the bricks. The annual dose at each location was measured using glass dosimeters and thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD). The dose rate was measured using an energy-compensated NaI scintillation survey meter. The soil contamination near the location of each brick was measured using a germanium semiconductor detector. The main purpose of the project was to extrapolate the relation between the cumulative external dose and the present dose rate or contamination level to the lower contaminated areas. The results of the glass dosimeter, TLD, and survey meter determinations were almost identical. For a determination of the annual dose higher than 10 mGy y(-1), the cumulative dose by TL (TL dose) was roughly proportional to the annual dose and about 1.5 times larger than the cumulative dose calculated from the annual dose and 137Cs half life. The difference is expected due to the contribution of short-lived nuclides immediately after the accident or localized heavy contamination of the ground surface with 137Cs that migrated afterwards. For annual dose smaller than 10 mGy y(-1), the proportionality was not observed and most of the locations facing indoors showed TL doses very much larger than that expected from the proportionality. The cumulative dose outdoors by TL was also roughly proportional to the regional 137Cs contamination level and the proportional constant is about 10(-1) mGy per GBq km(-2), and is about 250 times larger than the present annual internal dose derived from published results. The correlation between the present dose rate where the brick was sampled and the average 137Cs concentration in the ground soil near the point is not clear, possibly because of the large spatial fluctuation in the 137Cs concentration in the soil.     

Thermoluminescence response of LiF to alpha radiation

The relative alpha-to-gamma radiation sensitivity of LiF chips (TLD-100) was determined using 241Am and 137Cs. Sensitivity is expressed in thermoluminescence per unit of absorbed dose in grays. The relative sensitivity varied from 0.13 to 0.23 with a mean of 0.18 +/- 0.03. The chips were exposed at ambient temperature and pressure.     

探究4种临床CT扫描方式对受检者辐射剂量的影响及胸部扫描辐射场的空间分布

目的 探究4种临床CT扫描方式对受检者常见组织吸收剂量的影响及胸部扫描的辐射场空间分布,以期为受检者与机房内空间辐射防护提供依据。方法 利用热释光探测器（TLD）测量仿真体模的眼晶体、甲状腺、性腺、胸部和腹部皮肤在4种CT扫描方式下的吸收剂量。利用TLD监测胸部螺旋扫描时距离CT诊断床不同位置处的空气比释动能。结果 仿真体模的眼晶体、甲状腺、性腺、胸部和腹部皮肤在4种CT扫描方式下的吸收剂量分别为0.040～64.818 mGy、0.154～10.155 mGy、0.028～0.154 mGy、0.443～17.141 mGy和0.093～14.346 mGy。胸部扫描时空间辐射场的空气比释动能最大值为0.049 mGy,且与CT球管距离越大数值越小。结论 4种CT扫描方式对受检者常见组织的吸收剂量一般不会超过阈剂量。单次CT胸部扫描时陪检者所受剂量较小。为减少辐射危害,在CT扫描中可采取屏蔽措施来减少受检者组织吸收剂量,同时陪检者应适当增加与球管和诊断床的距离。     

First international intercomparison of luminescence techniques using samples from the Techa River Valley.

Bricks collected from a contaminated village (Muslyumovo) of the lower Techa river valley, Southern Urals, Russia, were measured using thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence by four European laboratories and a U.S. laboratory to establish and compare the applied dose reconstruction methodologies. The bricks, collected from 60-100-year-old buildings, had accumulated a relatively high dose due to natural sources of radiation in the brick and from the surrounding environment. This work represents the results of a first international intercomparison of luminescence measurements for bricks from the Southern Urals. The luminescence measurements of absorbed dose in bricks collected from the most shielded locations of the same buildings were used to determine the background dose due to natural sources of radiation and to validate the age of the bricks. The absorbed dose in different bricks measured by four laboratories using thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence at a depth of 10 +/- 2.5 mm from the exposed brick surface agreed within +/-21%. After subtraction of the natural background dose, the absorbed dose in brick due to contaminated river sediments and banks was calculated and found to range between 150 and 200 mGy. The cumulative doses in brick due to man-made sources of radiation at 100 and 130 mm depths in the bricks were also measured and found to be consistent with depth dose profiles calculated by Monte Carlo simulations of photon transport for possible source distributions.     

Application of a newly developed photoluminescence glass dosimeter for measuring the absorbed dose in individual mice exposed to low-dose rate 137Cs gamma-rays

A photoluminescence glass dosimeter, GD-301, was applied to the measurement of low absorbed doses in mice exposed to low-dose rate 137Cs gamma-rays. The dosimeter system consists of small rod-shaped glass chip detectors capable of embedded in the body of a mouse and an automatic readout device equipped with a standard detector irradiated with 137Cs gamma-source. The measured absorbed doses were compared with the "exposure" estimated by an ionization chamber and with the doses measured by a BeO:Na thermoluminescence system. The results clearly demonstrate the superiority of the glass dosimetry regarding simplicity of operation, stability of long-term dose accumulation and good detector uniformity, which allow accurate tissue dosimetry.     

热释光剂量仪的计算机数据获取与处理的研究

目的用计算机进行热释光(TL)数据获取和发光曲线的分析.方法利用计算机自动控制技术,实现对TL测量过程的控制,采用动力学模型对TL发光曲线进行解谱.结果设计的软、硬件满足测量和数据分析的要求,使得原有的TL剂量仪的用户接口功能和数据处理能力增强,方便TL曲线的计算机解谱,测量效率也得到提高.结论可以方便地获得TL荆量数据,同时也可以测得精细的发光曲线供分析研究,效果满意.     

ESR dosimetry study of population in the vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

A tooth enamel electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry study was carried out with the purpose of obtaining the individual absorbed radiation doses of population from settlements in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan, which was exposed to radioactive fallout traces from nuclear explosions in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and Lop Nor test base, China. Most of the settlements are located near the central axis of radioactive fallout trace from the most contaminating surface nuclear test, which was conducted on 29 August 1949, with the maximum detected excess dose being 430 ± 93 mGy. A maximum dose of 268 ± 79 mGy was determined from the settlements located close to radioactive fallout trace resulting from surface nuclear tests on 24 August 1956 (Ust-Kamenogorsk, Znamenka, Shemonaikha, Glubokoe, Tavriya and Gagarino). An accidental dose of 56 ± 42 mGy was found in Kurchatov city residents located close to fallout trace after the nuclear test on 7 August 1962. This method was applied to human tooth enamel to obtain individual absorbed doses of residents of the Makanchi, Urdzhar and Taskesken settlements located near the Kazakhstan–Chinese border due to the influence of nuclear tests (1964–1981) at Lop Nor. The highest dose was 123 ± 32 mGy.     

Performance of Al2O3:C optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters for clinical radiation therapy applications

A commercial Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dosimetry system developed by Landauer was tested to analyse the possibility of using OSL dosimetry for external beam radiotherapy planning checks. Experiments were performed to determine signal sensitivity, dose response range, beam type/energy dependency, reproducibility and linearity. Optical annealing processes to test OSL material reusability were also studied. In each case the measurements were converted into absorbed dose. The experimental results show that OSL dosimetry provides a wide dose response range, good linearity and reproducibility for the doses up to 800cGy. The OSL output is linear with dose up to 600cGy range showing a maximum deviation from linearity of 2.0% for the doses above 600cGy. The standard deviation in response of 20 dosimeters was 3.0%. After optical annealing using incandescent light, the readout intensity decreased by approximately 98% in the first 30 minutes. The readout intensity,I, decreased after repeated optical annealing as a power law, given byI ∝ t ^−1.3. This study concludes that OSL dosimetry can provide an alternative dosimetry technique for use in in-vivo dosimetry if rigorous measurement protocols are established.     

监测受检者入射体表剂量的热释光方法的质量保证

[目的]为保证医疗照射剂量监测结果的可靠性,开展热释光剂量（thermoluminescence dosimetry,TLD）方法的质量保证研究。[方法]在次级标准剂量学实验室进行TLD的分散性、剂量线性和能量响应特性实验;通过建立标准化退火和测量程序并对设备进行定期校正来控制监测质量。[结果]经分档后各档TLD的灵敏度差异〈4％;在0．3～20mGy的剂量范围内,所用TLD具有理想的剂量线性（R^2=0．9999）;在医用诊断X射线常见的能量范围内,所用TLD的能量响应变化〈1．0％;盲样测量结果表明,TLD的测量值与约定真值偏差在-2．55％～0．12％之间。[结论]通过加强TLD的质量保证,可以有效提高x射线诊断受检者入射体表剂量监测结果的可比性和准确性。     

Absorbed dose to very low birth weight infants from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose

The radiation absorbed dose to very low birth weight infants from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose was investigated. Ten newborns undergoing clinical positron tomography lung imaging were included in this study. Two consecutive 45-min dynamic scans immediately following intravenous injection of fluorodeoxyglucose were acquired; the first was over the head, and the second was over the chest. Time-activity curves were generated for the brain, heart wall, lungs, and, when visible, the kidneys. The cumulated activity measurements obtained were for the entire organ masses; these masses were much smaller than the corresponding organ masses for the newborn mathematical model. Patient-specific dosimetry yielded average doses of 2.5 x 10(-1) mGy MBq(-1) for the brain, 6.8 x 10(-1) mGy MBq(-1) for the heart wall, 2.2 x 10(-1) mGy MBq(-1) for the kidneys, and 4.4 x 10(-1) mGy MBq(-1) for the lungs. The effective dose was estimated to be 2.1 x 10(-1) mSv MBq(-1), which is half that previously published for newborns but still an order of magnitude higher than that for adults.     

Dose reconstruction by EPR spectroscopy of tooth enamel: application to the population of Zaborie village exposed to high radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident

Individual irradiation doses were determined by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of the tooth enamel of the inhabitants of Zaborie, the most contaminated inhabited settlement not evacuated after the Chernobyl accident. Dose determination was performed using a specially developed automatic spectrum processing procedure. Spectrum processing was carried out in different operating modes, and average results were taken in order to reduce the contribution of uncertainty in dose determination caused by spectrum processing. The absorbed doses determined in enamel were corrected to take into account the contribution of natural background radiation and to determine the individual excess dose due to radioactive contamination of the territory. Individual excess doses are compared to calculated individualized doses to teeth, estimated using the local radioactive contamination levels, dose rates, and information concerning individual behavior. The individual excess doses measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and the calculated individualized doses are fully independent. Mean square variation between results of two methods was found to be 34 mGy, which is consistent with error estimation for both methods. This result can validate both the methodology of signal processing presented here when using electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry of tooth enamel for low doses and the methodology of individualized dose calculation.     

Observations on personnel dosimetry for radiotherapy personnel operating high-energy LINACs

A series of measurements were conducted to determine the cause of a sudden increase in personnel radiation exposures. One objective of the measurements was to determine if the increases were related to changing from film dosimeters exchanged monthly to TLD-100 dosimeters exchanged quarterly. While small increases were observed in the dose equivalents of most employees, the dose equivalents of personnel operating medical electron linear accelerators with energies greater than 20 MV doubled coincidentally with the change in the personnel dosimeter program. The measurements indicated a small thermal neutron radiation component around the accelerators operated by these personnel. This component caused the doses measured with the TLD-100 dosimeters to be overstated. Therefore, the increase in these personnel dose equivalents was not due to changes in work habits or radiation environments. Either film or TLD-700 dosimeters would be suitable for personnel monitoring around high-energy linear accelerators. The final choice would depend on economics and personal preference.     

Production of element correction factors for thermoluminescent dosimeters

Approximately 80 processors of personal dosimetry in the United States use thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). Recent demands that dosimetry processors be able to measure radiation doses to within +/- 50% of the correct value have focused attention on the reproducibility of the TL elements within each TLD. The phosphors for these TLDs are manufactured by three companies. A dosimetry processor faces three options concerning the quality of the TL elements purchased; trust the supplier's quality control program, screen new TL elements and discard those that are extremely bad, or use element correction factors (ECFs). The first option results in dosimetry processors failing the +/- 50% accuracy requirement due to excessive variability among the TL elements. The second option still permits large precision errors that come close to the +/- 50% accuracy requirement. This paper advocates the third option and presents a 10-step procedure to produce ECFs. The procedure ensures that the ECFs represent only variations among the TL elements and not variations caused by stability problems with the TLD reader. Following is an example of ECF production for 3000 TLDs.     

The influence of regenerated thermoluminescence on low-dose dosimetry

The contribution of regenerated thermoluminescence to low doses is studied for the case of CaF2-Dy (TLD-200). A component of 2 mrad was found for pre-irradiation doses of 70 rad, 1 krad and for 10 days' regenerating time. The results are discussed and the conclusion is that for measurements of extremely low dose it is better to use virgin crystals.     

The application of retrospective luminescence dosimetry in areas affected by fallout from the semipalatinsk nuclear test site: an evaluation of potential

Luminescence retrospective dosimetry techniques have been applied with ceramic bricks to determine the cumulative external gamma dose due to fallout, primarily from the 1949 test, in populated regions lying NE of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Altai, Russia, and the Semipalatinsk region, Kazakhstan. As part of a pilot study, nine settlements were examined, three within the regions of highest predicted dose (Dolon in Kazakshstan; Laptev Log and Leshoz Topolinskiy in Russia) and the remainder of lower predicted dose (Akkol, Bolshaya Vladimrovka, Kanonerka, and Izvestka in Kazakshstan; Rubtsovsk and Kuria in Russia) within the lateral regions of the fallout trace due to the 1949 test. The settlement of Kainar, mainly affected by the 24 September 1951 nuclear test, was also examined. The bricks from this region were found to be generally suitable for use with the luminescence method. Estimates of cumulative absorbed dose in air due to fallout for Dolon and Kanonerka in Kazakshstan and Leshoz Topolinskiy were 475 +/- 110 mGy, 240 +/- 60 mGy, and 230 +/- 70 mGy, respectively. The result obtained in Dolon village is in agreement with published calculated estimates of dose normalized to Cs concentration in soil. At all the other locations (except Kainar) the experimental values of cumulative absorbed dose obtained indicated no significant dose due to fallout that could be detected within a margin of about 25 mGy. The results demonstrate the potential suitability of the luminescence method to map variations in cumulative dose within the relatively narrow corridor of fallout distribution from the 1949 test. Such work is needed to provide the basis for accurate dose reconstruction in settlements since the predominance of short-lived radionuclides in the fallout and a high degree of heterogeneity in the distribution of fallout are problematic for the application of conventional dosimetry techniques.     

Absorbed dose to the adult male and female brain from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose

The absorbed doses to adult male and female brains from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose were investigated. A total of eight male and six female patients undergoing clinical positron tomography brain scans were included in this study. This patient population allowed for a comparison of the absorbed dose to the brain in men and women. For each patient, time-activity curves for the brain were generated, yielding cumulated activity measurements for the entire organ. From these cumulated activities the average residence times for both male and female subjects were calculated and then multiplied by the S-values from the MIRDOSE 3.1 software program for absorbed dose estimates. The average absorbed dose per administered activity to the adult male brain was found to be 4.2 x 10(-2) mGy MBq(-1), which is lower than that found for the adult female brain of 5.3 x 10(-2) mGy MBq(-1). Six of the male and all six female subjects were each studied on two separate occasions, allowing for an analysis of within-subject variability. The average variation in the self-dose for all 12 patients was found to be within 14%, suggesting that in most cases this method of obtaining a single dose estimate is precise.