Intrinsic dosimetry of glass containers used to transport nuclear materials: Potential implications to the fields of waste management and nuclear forensics

Thermoluminescence (TL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry were used to measure dose effects in borosilicate glass with time, from 10 min to 60 days following exposure to a dose of up to 100 Gy. TL and EPR results were consistent and performed similarly, with both techniques capable of achieving an estimated limit of detection of between 0.5 and 1 Gy. Three peaks were identified in the TL glow curve at roughly 110 °C, 205 °C, and 225 °C. The intensity of the 205 °C peak was the dominant peak over the time period of this study. The stability of all of the peaks with time since irradiation increased with their corresponding temperature and no significant variation was observed in the glow curve response to a specified total dose attained at different dose rates. The intensity of the 205 °C peak decreased logarithmically with time regardless of total dose. Based upon a conservative limit of detection of 3.3 Gy, a 100 Gy dose would still be detected 2.7E3 years after exposure. Here, we introduce the concept of intrinsic dosimetry, the measurement of the total absorbed dose received by the walls of a container containing radioactive material. The foreseen advantage of intrinsic dosimetry comes from considering the measured absorbed dose received by containers in concert with the characteristics (amount, type) of the source of that dose, the radioactive material contained within the walls of the container, in order to provide enhanced information about the history of an unknown sample in question. Three hypothetical scenarios are presented to introduce this method and to illustrate how intrinsic dosimetry might benefit the fields of nuclear forensics and waste management.