Retrospective Dosimetry after Criticality Accidents Using Low-Frequency EPR: A Study of Whole Human Teeth Irradiated in a Mixed Neutron and Gamma-Radiation Field (original) (raw)
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Accurate, reliable dose reconstruction is a critical component in the epidemiological followup of liquidators. Dosimetry of teeth by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a state of the art laboratory technique that is key to this effort. The Scientific Center of Radiation Medicine (SCRM) has developed and refined this technique in order to meet the practical demands of large scale epidemiologic followup of the Chernobyl liquidators. Independent analysis using similar technology was performed by investigators at the University of Utah and showed good correlation with the SCRM results. The lower limit of detection for reliable dose reconstruction was 100 mGy. Techniques were applied to samples from approximately 135 liquidators involved in cleanup activities within the first 2 years after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Mean dose was 287 mGy, geometric mean was 205 mGy, and median dose value was 200 mGy. The reconstructed dose values range from 30 to 2220 mGy. Correlation of resul...