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Recent findings regarding PSL detection on salt- containing fortuitous dosimeters

The security risk of R/N events have increased through the years due to the raised use of ionising radiation in hospitals, the nuclear research or industry, and, unfortunately, also to the threat of malicious or terrorist attacks with radiological materials. Radiation victims, i.e. people not carrying conventional dosimeters can be exposed to doses of ionising radiation which requires individual dose estimates to support classifications for convenient medical triage in large scale accidents. The current golden standard is the biological dosimetry, that is based on high cost techniques taking at least several days for the dose estimation. Therefore, the development of physical methods is the focus of the research to complement biodosimetry. Significant efforts have been made on the dose assessment from the objects that could be found at the location of the event, i.e., on fortuitous dosimeters. The optical luminescence technique has been successfully applied to various materials. Before establishing protocols regarding such objects and materials, they should be studied by determining their doseresponse and reliability. In this purpose, we combine the use of a low-cost portable Photo-Stimulated Luminescence (PSL) reader with the selection of cheap materials that contain salt: salty snacks and coastal sand [1]. The proposed method for determining the dose from such dosimeters is based on the use of a reader also applied for determining irradiated food [2] and therefore widely spread in many countries, and available for mass application. Until now, the two laboratories involved in the BioPhyMeTRE project, fully funded by NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme (Grant G5684), collected interesting and promising results on salty snacks and coastal sand [2]. These results encourage the use of blue light stimulation which provided a better response compared to infrared light and were not influenced by the difference in dose rates applied by the two Institutes. Furthermore, the different approach for determination of the detection limit were used and discussed.

retrospective dosimetry ; photo-stimulated luminescence ; radiation triage ; salty snacks ; sand

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