Pathogenic effects of low dose irradiation: dose–effect relationships

There is no evidence of pathogenic effects in human groups exposed to less than 100 mSv at low dose-rate. The attributed effects are therefore the result of extrapolations from higher doses. The validity of such extrapolations is discussed from the point of view of epidemiology as well as cellular and molecular biology. The Chernobyl accident resulted in large excess of thyroid cancers in children; it also raised the point that some actual sanitary effects among distressed populations might be a direct consequence of low doses. Studies under the control of UN have not confirmed this point identifying no dose–effect relationship and “severe socio-economic and psychological pressures… poverty, poor diet and living conditions, and lifestyle factors” as the main cause for depressed health. Some hypothesis are considered for explaining the dose-dependence and high prevalence of non-cancer causes of death among human groups exposed to more than 300 mSv. To cite this article: R. Masse, C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 1049–1058.     

Measurement of radiation dose at the north interaction point of BEPCⅡ

The technique details for measuring radiation dose are expounded.The results of gamma and neutron radiation levels are presented and the corresponding radiation shielding is discussed based on the simplified estimation.In addition, the photon radiation level move as background for future experiments is measured by a NaI(T1) detector.     

Measurement of radiation dose at the north interaction point of BEPCⅡ

The technique details for measuring radiation dose are expounded. The results of gamma and neutron radiation levels are presented and the corresponding radiation shielding is discussed based on the simplified estimation. In addition, the photon radiation level move as background for future experiments is measured by a NaI（T1） detector.     

Thermoluminescence kinetics analysis of α-Al2O3:C at different dose levels and populations of trapping states and a model for its dose response

Kinetic analysis of a α-Al₂O₃ (TLD-500) thermoluminescent (TL) dosimeter was performed following irradiating the samples with ⁶⁰Co gamma rays. The number of glow peaks contained in the complex glow curve of this phosphor was identified using the T_m ? T_stop method, which demonstrates three component glow peaks. A computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) program was used to determine the trapping parameters of the three constituent glow peaks obtained at different dose levels and different populations of trapping states. To analyze the number of constituent glow peaks, we used a kinetic model to describe both the irradiation and heating stages. The predictions of the model for the TL response agreed well with the experimental data when three dosimetry traps were incorporated.     

Influence of implantation dose on electroluminescence from Si-implanted silicon nitride thin films

Strong visible electroluminescence (EL) with electrically tunable colors from violet to white has been observed from Si-implanted silicon nitride thin films. Influence of the implanted Si ion dose on both the current conduction and EL properties has been studied. With a larger excess Si concentration, the carrier transport is enhanced leading to a higher EL intensity, but the light emission efficiency is reduced. On the other hand, the increase of the excess Si concentration causes redshifts in the major EL bands and improves the transition of the EL colors with increasing current. The excess Si concentration is also found to have a significant influence on the EL degradation. These findings are important to the application of the Si-implanted thin films in light emitting devices.     

Irradiation of human lymphocytes with He-Ne laser dose not express the interleukin-2 receptors

The irradiation of human lymphocytes with a He-Ne laser(632.8nm,56J/cm~2)does not express interleukin-2 receptors on membrances of T-lymphocytes     

Analytical and statistical calculation of gamma dose rate for the accident of losing the shield for Tehran Research Reactor

In this paper we study the analytical and statistical results of estimating the gamma dose rate at pool access floor in TRR when the core shield accidentally decreases to some non-permitted levels. Due to the risk of experimental techniques, we use the analytical and statistical methods. In normal conditions (no risk), the discrepancies between experiment and two methods are justified and it is found that for such problems we have to normalize these methods to experimental results as follows: the analytical method by factor 0.13 and MCNP by 1.7.     

Intercomparison of Gafchromic™ films,TL detectors and TL foils for the measurements of skin dose in interventional radiology

Several passive solid state dosemeters, such as Gafchromic™ films and thermoluminescence (TL) detectors, are used to estimate and monitor patient skin doses in interventional radiology. To determine the suitability of XR-TypeR Gafchromic™ films and of detectors based on TL materials: pellets, chips and foils to measure skin dose, an intercomparison exercise has been organized within European Dosimetry Radiation Group – Working Group 12 “European Medical ALARA Network” (EURADOS WG12). To test response detectors were exposed to X-ray beams of energies and qualities applied clinically. A blind test was also performed to investigate the accuracy of the dose estimate by detectors exposed to unknown doses. We found the response of films to be strongly dependent on beam quality and filtration (increasing by up to 80% with respect to reference beam quality). The response of TL detectors was found to be less dependent on beam quality (less than 25% variation), with TL foils showing less than 10% variation with respect to reference beam quality. To accurately estimate patient skin doses in interventional radiology it is important to choose the quality of the calibration beam to be as close as possible to the quality of beams actually applied in clinical work.     

Out-of-field dose measurements in radiotherapy – An overview of activity of EURADOS Working Group 9: Radiation protection in medicine

This review of dosimetry for second cancer risk estimation introduces work carried out by Working Group 9 (WG9: Radiation Protection Dosimetry in Medicine) of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS). The work concentrates on the measurement of out-of-field doses in water phantoms using a variety of dosimeters to measure photon and neutron doses. These include optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), radiophotoluminescence (RPL) and thermoluminescence (TLD) dosimeters for photon dosimetry (together with ion chambers for reference measurements) and track etch and superheated emulsion detectors for neutron measurements. The motivation of WG 9 was to assess undue, non-target patient doses in radiotherapy and the related risks of second malignancy. Improvements in cancer treatment have increased survival times and thus increased incidence of second cancer may be expected in the future. In addition, increased whole body exposure may result from some developments in radiotherapy. This means that radiotherapy clinics will need to simulate their treatments in order to estimate and minimise doses to healthy tissues and organs. The proposed work is designed to generate a robust dataset of out-of-field dose measurements which can be used for the development and validation of dose algorithms.     

Improvement in dose threshold of α-Al2O3:C using thermally assisted OSL

α-Al₂O₃:C phosphor was studied for improvement of its dose threshold using thermally assisted optically stimulated luminescence (TA-OSL) phenomenon. The dose threshold of phosphor depends on the standard deviation of the background signal which affects the signal-to-noise ratio of the instrument. In case of OSL measurement, the background signal is due to the scattering of the stimulation light intensity from the planchet. On reducing the stimulation light intensity, the scattering component and thus the standard deviation of the background signal reduces considerably. The reduction in stimulation light intensity increases the readout time due to the dependence of decay constant of OSL signal on the former. The decay constant depends on the photo-ionization cross-section of the OSL active traps in the phosphor participating in OSL phenomenon and thus on the readout temperature due to the temperature dependence of photo-ionization cross-section. In order to achieve the same decay constant for two sets of measurements for α-Al₂O₃:C i.e. to take the OSL measurement in the same time at lower stimulation light intensity as that taken for higher light intensity, the temperature of measurement for α-Al₂O₃:C for the former was raised. Moreover, the increase of readout temperature does not affect the standard deviation in the background signal of OSL readout. The optimized elevated temperature for α-Al₂O₃:C was found to be 85 °C as the main dosimetric peak starts giving signal due to depletion of its filled traps, at temperatures higher than 90 °C. As a result of lowering the stimulation intensity at higher temperature (85 °C), the standard deviation in the background signal and thus the overall dose threshold of α-Al₂O₃:C was found to improve by 1.8 times.     

Study on the surface performance of carbon fibres irradiated by γ-ray under different irradiation dose

The technology of high-energy irradiation is widely used in the field of material interface modification because of its high efficiency, energy conservation and environment friendliness. In this paper, γ-ray irradiation graft technology was used in order to enhance the surface performance of the carbon fibre (CF). The surface chemical elements and functional groups of untreated and irradiated CF were observed by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the value of O/C and the quantity of oxygen functional groups on CF surface were enhanced efficiently after treatment by γ-ray irradiation graft technology. The morphology of CF was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atom forced microscopy (AFM), respectively. The surface roughness of CF was greatly increased compared with the untreated CF. Moreover, the interface performance was clearly improved after irradiation.     

Monte Carlo simulation of the dose deposited into GAFCHROMIC® film by X-rays produced by the electron beam of PFMA-3

The electron beam emitted backward by Plasma Focus devices is being investigated as a radiation source for IORT (Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy) applications. A Plasma Focus device is being developed to this aim, to be utilized as an X-ray source. The electron beam is driven to impinge on a 50 μm brass foil, where conversion X-rays are generated. Monte Carlo simulations of the X-ray emission have been conducted with MCNPX, with the purpose of estimating penetration in and dose to human tissue. The electron spectrum had been determined experimentally and is used in the present work as input to the simulations. X-ray emission both from bremsstrahlung and from characteristic lines is predicted. The spectrum is found to be comprised of two components: one peaked at 10 keV and one centred around 50 keV. Doses to film determined from the present simulations are compared to experimental values obtained in a previous work by the authors: the results are found in very good agreement.     

Hardness and elastic modulus of zircon as a function of heavy-particle irradiation dose: I. In situ α-decay event damage

Abstract

For a natural single crystal of zircon, ZrSiO₄, from Sri Lanka, exhibiting zonation in U and Th contents, the hardness and elastic modulus have been determined as a function of α-decay dose using a mechanical properties microprobe (MPM). The zones vary in thickness from one to hundreds of micrometers, and have uranium and thorium concentrations such that the α-decay dose varies between 2 × 10¹⁵ and 1 × 10¹⁶ α-decay events/mg (0.15 to 0.65 dpa, displacement per atom). The transition from the crystalline to the aperiodic metamict state occurs over this dose range. For a traverse of 75 indent pairs across layers sampling a large portion of the crystalline-to-metamict transition (3.7 × 10¹⁵ to 9.7 × 10¹⁵ α-decay events/mg) both the hardness and elastic modulus decrease linearly with increasing α-decay dose. The radiation-induced softening follows a behavior similar to other radiation-induced changes, that is with the expansion of the unit cell parameters there is a decrease in density, birefringence, hardness and bulk modulus.     

Combined measurement of dose and α/γ radiation-field-components using the shape of composite peak 5 in the glow curve of LiF:Mg,Ti

The shape of composite peak 5 in the glow curve of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100), specifically, the ratio of the intensity of peak 5a to peak 5, is employed to separately estimate the gamma and alpha particle components in a mixed radiation field. A blind test demonstrates the reasonable accuracy of the technique which yields results between 3.8% and 30%.     

Experimental calculations of number,energy and dose albedos for various materials using 662 keV gamma rays

ABSTRACT

Number, energy and dose albedos are measured at a scattering angle of 180° for a broad beam of 662 keV gamma rays obtained from a radioactive source of ¹³⁷Cs (having strength in µCi; 1 Ci?=?3.7?×?10¹⁰ disintegrations per second). The gamma beam is incident on semi-infinite thick targets of variable atomic numbers. The scattering media is divided into three sets, which are pure elements, alloys and composite materials. Experiments are carried out using a 3^″?×?3^″ NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. To obtain precision in data, the response unfolding of a scintillation detector is used, which converts the observed pulse-height distribution to a true photon spectrum over the energy range of 2.5 to 640 keV. The detector response unfolding results in the true intensity of back-scattered gamma flux by shifting the events resulting from partial absorption of photons to the full energy peak of the spectrum. In the present study, albedo factors are studied as a function of target thickness and their atomic number. The experimentally calculated numbers of back-scattered gamma photon are in good agreement with theoretically generated numbers of multiple back-scattered counts by using a Monte Carlo simulation code. The experimental data on energy and intensity of 662 keV gamma photons are used to evaluate the number, energy and dose albedos for different materials under investigation.