EPR Dose Reconstruction in Teeth: Applications and Perspectives

Authors

D. A. Schauer, A. A. Romanyukha

Abstract

The use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) for radiation biodosimetry of tooth enamel and bone was first suggested by Swartz in 1965. However, strong motivation for practical applications and further development resulted from the Chernobyl accident in 1986. At this time EPR dose reconstruction became an element of broad epidemiological studies on the health effects of radiation. This was followed by several EPR dose reconstruction studies with teeth prepared from the general population and nuclear workers of the Southern Urals region of Russia. These groups were overexposed from radioactive contamination and occupational exposure from the Mayak nuclear weapons facility. Another important development of EPR biodosimetry was the conduct of several international intercomparisons (Chumak et al. 1996; Wieser et al. 2000). Such intercomparisons facilitated selection of the best dose evaluation procedures and the identification of weaknesses in applied techniques. In 2002, further efforts were initiated to standardize practical applications of EPR retrospective biodosimetry. They included the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements report on the Retrospective Assessment of Exposures to Ionizing Radiation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency report on EPR Tooth Biodosimetry. In addition, there are a number of reviews on the technical aspects of EPR dose reconstruction with tooth enamel, (see, for example, Desrosiers and Schauer, 2001; Pass et al. 1997; Romanyukha et al. 1996, 2000). The aim of this paper is to give brief description of the method with examples of its practical applications and formulate some applications of EPR dose reconstruction for homeland security.

Meeting

This abstract was presented at the 36th Annual Midyear Meeting, "Radiation Safety Aspects of Homeland Security and Emergency Response", Biophysical and Biological Techniques for Retrospective Radiation Dosimetry Session, 1/26/2003 - 1/29/2003, held in San Antonio, TX.

 
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