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Cross section of a core taken from a wall in the prison room under study, as discussed in the main text. Quartz, used in the thermoluminescence measurements, was extracted from the 4 mm thick plaster lying beneath the whitewash layer.
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There is a growing public awareness of the risk of accidental radiation exposure due to ageing nuclear power installations, illegal dumping of nuclear waste and terrorist activities, and of the consequential health risks to populations in addition to social and economic disturbance extending beyond national boundaries. In the event of catastrophic...
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... was alleged that the prisoners had been placed in a room $0.5 m from a radiation source that was concealed behind a cur- tain (3 m from the back wall) and illegally exposed to radiation under the pretence of being photo- graphed (47) . Using the methodology based on the measurement of the 170 C TL peak as discussed above, six cores of plaster were taken from the wall at various distances from the putative location of the source of radiation (Figure 2). The absorbed dose determined in the temperature range 160-170 C of the glow curve was found to be 300 AE 50 mGy, show- ing no variation with distance ( Figure 3). ...
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Citations
... TL/OSL based radiation monitoring is now worldwide accepted for personnel (Bhatt, 2011;Mckeever, 2001), medical (Pradhan et al., 2008(Pradhan et al., , 2016, environmental (Chougaonkar, 2006;Komor, 2002), and retrospective dosimetry (Singh et al., 2016;Bailiff et al., 2000;Goksul and Bailiff, 2006). Although most of the TL/OSL phosphors used radiation dosimetry are sensitive to low LET radiation like gamma and high-energy beta, they are less sensitive to thermal neutrons. ...
... TL/OSL based radiation monitoring is now worldwide accepted for personnel (Bhatt, 2011;Mckeever, 2001), medical (Pradhan et al., 2008(Pradhan et al., , 2016, environmental (Chougaonkar, 2006;Komor, 2002), and retrospective dosimetry (Singh et al., 2016;Bailiff et al., 2000;Goksul and Bailiff, 2006). Although most of the TL/OSL phosphors used radiation dosimetry are sensitive to low LET radiation like gamma and high-energy beta, they are less sensitive to thermal neutrons. ...
... In addition to using a commercial OSLD for retrospective dosimetry, lots of options are available like fired building materials, cementitious building materials, chalk-based plaster, calcium silicate bricks, portable and personal objects, including certain types of telephone cards that contain micro-electronic chips, dental ceramics in the forms of crowns [3]. Moreover, every facility that handles radioactive sources or radiation sources like x-ray above the exempt limit must purchase personal dosimetry services elsewhere. ...
The enemy always looks to defeat the detection systems. To handle this tackle, defense in depth in detection is a must. In this work, we propose a complementary detection mechanism for illicit nuclear activities in nuclear facilities in addition to current detection techniques. If one of the detection systems cannot detect illicit nuclear activity, at least one more system is supposed to catch the enemy's action. This action can be either an internal or external thread. Optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry is used in personal, environmental, retrospective, space, neutron, and medical areas. This system can be a complementary measurement system with the advantages of using without electricity and having those in any nuclear facility. A model is defined with the function of system parameters and the background dose to use OSLDs for the proposed purpose. The model enables us to evaluate the background dose, the initial dose, and the bleaching constant for the reader, including the uncertainty. A case study is worked to prove the model. According to the model and the case study, we can flag the illicit nuclear activity in the proposed nuclear facility by using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs).
... Dose computation utilizing luminescence of solid-state dosimeter has become a significant field of innovative work, and has been effectively applied in territories affected by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs [415], at the Nevada test site [416], and the Semipalatinsk test site [417]. The strategy was additionally utilized for areas affected by the Chernobyl mishap [418] and in contaminated settlements of the upper Techa River in the Southern Urals [419]. ...
Atomic and radiological crises can be caused by accidents, military activities, terrorist assaults involving atomic installations, the explosion of nuclear devices, or the utilization of concealed radiation exposure devices. Direct damage is caused when radiation interacts directly with cellular components. Indirect effects are mainly caused by the generation of reactive oxygen species due to radiolysis of water molecules. Acute and persistent oxidative stress associates to radiation-induced biological damages. Biological impacts of atomic radiation exposure can be deterministic (in a period range a posteriori of the event and because of destructive tissue/organ harm) or stochastic (irregular, for example cell mutation related pathologies and heritable infections). Potential countermeasures according to a specific scenario require considering basic issues, e.g., the type of radiation, people directly affected and first responders, range of doses received and whether the exposure or contamination has affected the total body or is partial. This review focuses on available medical countermeasures (radioprotectors, radiomitigators, radionuclide scavengers), biodosimetry (biological and biophysical techniques that can be quantitatively correlated with the magnitude of the radiation dose received), and strategies to implement the response to an accidental radiation exposure. In the case of large-scale atomic or radiological events, the most ideal choice for triage, dose assessment and victim classification, is the utilization of global biodosimetry networks, in combination with the automation of strategies based on modular platforms.
... Sample preparation techniques and measurement protocols of quartz dosimeter are well established, which may take more than one day. Various studies have been performed with quartz to evaluate the external exposure in the area of Chernobyl, in areas affected by fallout from the Semipalatinsk and Nevada nuclear test sites and in the Southern Urals (15). The minimum detectable doses that can be obtained from bricks a few decades old is in the order of 20-25 mGy. ...
... The possibility of using quartz extracted from unfired building materials (mortar, concrete, etc.) was also tested (15). However, in such cases, a detection limit higher than 100 mGy was observed. ...
... Recently, in addition to quartz, other phosphors, found either in the urban environment or in materials carried on or close to the body by the general population (16), have also been studied for dosimetry application. Examples of such materials include memory chip modules from telephones, ID, health insurance, cash and credit cards (15--18), ceramic resistors of portable electronic devices such as mobile phones (18,19), materials used for dental restoration (15,20), tooth enamel (21,22), household and workplace chemicals (23,24) and glass (25). Inorganic dust extracted from natural materials or personal items has also been investigated. ...
Radiological accidents occur mainly in the practices recognized as high risk and which are classified by the IAEA as Categories 1 and 2: radiotherapy, industrial irradiators and industrial radiography. In Brazil, 5 important cases in industrial gamma radiography occurred from 1985 to 2018, involving 7 radiation workers and 19 members of the public. The accidents caused localized radiation lesions on the hands and fingers. One of these accidents is the focus of this paper. In this accident, a 3.28 TBq 192Ir radioactive source was left unshielded for 9 hours in a NDT company parking lot, and many radiation workers, employees and public, including teachers of a primary school were exposed. The radioactive source was also directly handled by a security worker for about 1.5 min causing severe radiation injuries in the hand and fingers. This paper presents radiation dose estimates for all accidentally exposed individuals. Four scenarios were considered, and three internationally recognised and updated reconstructive dosimetry techniques were used, named, Brazilian Visual Monte Carlo Dose Calculation (VMC), Virtual Environment for Radiological and Nuclear Accidents Simulation (AVSAR) and RADPRO Calculator®. The main radiation doses estimated by VMC were the absorbed dose of 34 Gy for the security worker’s finger and his effective dose of 91 mSv; effective doses from 43 to 160 mSv for radiation workers and NDT employees; and effective doses of 9 mSv for teachers in the schoolyard.
... In the case of an orphan source found in a building, the integral dose can be determined by means of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz extracted from bricks (Ainsbury et al., 2011;Göksu and Bailiff, 2006;Jain et al., 2002;IAEA, 1998). Moreover, dose measurement in different layers of an irradiated brick can give some idea about the effective energy of the radiation source (Sato et al., 2002;Bailiff et al., 2004;Escalera-Velasco, 2020). ...
... This approach was not applied in previous studies related to retrospective dosimetry with bricks that concerned exposures connected with high energy photons, Chernobyl exposure, nuclear tests exposure, etc. (e.g. Sato et al., 2002;Bailiff, 1999;Göksu et al., 2006;Bøtter-Jensen et al., 2000;Bøtter-Jensen et al., 1999). Our study concerned potential incidents with orphan sources that may have different scenarios and conditions. ...
In the aftermath of an orphan radiation source find, a complex retrospective dose reconstruction can be required to estimate doses of persons who were staying in the vicinity. In retrospective dose reconstructions based on luminescence measurements of quartz extracted from bricks, high sensitivity thermoluminescence detectors (TLD) can be used as an ancillary tool for dose distribution measurements or natural radiation background measurement. We investigated the potential and limits of Al2O3:C, CaF2:Mn and LiF:Mg,Cu,P detectors for such applications. We measured depth-dose profiles in bricks using quartz and the TLDs. We factored in important dosimetry characteristics such as dose response, energy response and detection threshold. The work included Monte Carlo simulations. Depth-dose profiles and radiation spectra inside of the bricks were calculated for purposes of comparison and interpretation. The measurements and calculations were performed for two different photon spectra with mean energies of 662 and 118 keV. As regards comparison of the measured and Monte Carlo calculated depth-dose profiles, the best agreement was found for LiF:Mg,Cu,P. Quartz, Al2O3:C and CaF2:Mn tend to overestimate dose for lower photon energies and greater depths in bricks. The overestimation was the most marked for CaF2:Mn. For measurements related to quartz, especially for natural radiation background dose measurement, the most suitable TLDs are Al2O3:C and LiF:Mg,Cu,P. CaF2:Mn is the least useful material.
... The possibility of using quartz extracted from unfired building and domestical materials has been also tested in detail over the literature. Examples of such materials contain chipcard modules from old mobile and smart phone types, health insurance, identity, and cash or credit cards [19][20][21], ceramic resistors of portable electronic devices [22,23], materials used for dental restoration [17], tooth enamel [24,25], household and workplace chemicals [26,27], and glass [28,29], Furthermore, Inorganic dust extracted from natural materials or personal items has been studied by Bortolin et al. [30] towards the same direction. Most of above-mentioned materials have showed a remarkable dose-response over a wide dose range, radiation sensitivity, optical and thermal stability and their detection limits are ranging from several mGy to several Gys. ...
... TL peaks P2 and P3 fulfill thermal stability criteria for accidental dosimetry. Moreover, according to the previous studies of Göksu et al. [5], Hübner and Göksu [14] and Göksu and Bailiff [19], the OSL signal of porcelain is thermally stable enough for retrospective dosimetry applications. Nevertheless, assessment of the actual thermal stability of the luminescence signal after long isothermal storage at room temperature and higher temperatures gives important evidence the possible occurrence of anomalous fading. ...
In the present study, different porcelain-based materials including a sugar bowl, an ashtray, a porcelain breaker, an artificial dental implant, an electric fuse and the seal of a porcelain moneybox were investigated via thermally (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). For this purpose, luminescence dosimetric properties such as TL and OSL curve shapes, reproducibility, bleachability, along with dose response features such as linearity and lowest detectable dose limits (LDDL) of these materials were compared. A feature that is sample-dependent deals with both quartz and mullite content of each porcelain paste, as it was indicated by XRD analysis. Three dominant peaks in TL glow curves were ubiquitously observed, and OSL decay curves formed in two components (C1 and C2) for all samples. It was determined that the LDDL for only two TL peaks (P1 and P2) seem acceptable for accidental retrospective dosimetry applications (0.9–2.2 Gy). On the other hand, the LDDL values obtained according to OSL analysis yielded more promising results in terms of accidental retrospective dosimetry applications as 0.3–0.4 Gy and 0.75–1.35 Gy for C1 and C2 components, respectively. TL peaks P1 and P2 indicate the majority of prevalent, if not universal, properties of stimulated luminescence. This latter universality could support an argument towards identification of these two TL peaks directly correlated to quartz mineral. On the other hand, TL P3 could be attributed to a contribution of more than one mineral, such as quartz, kaolinite and mullite, due to the lack of prevalence over all stimulated luminescence features.
... The technology can also be used to reconstruct doses absorbed due to a radiation accident or emergency case in accident or emergency dosimetry Similar goals for using OSL in retrospective dosimetry are predicting the dose for regions, individuals, or groups. OSL materials can be either natural or artificial, like bricks, tiles, porcelain, electronic components, dental enamel, dental ceramics, or commercially available OSLDs [7]. ...
... Some common materials that have been used in retrospective dosimetry using luminescence are fired building materials, cement-based building materials, chalk-based plaster, and calcium silicate bricks [7]. ...
... Using the fired building materials for post-Chernobyl studies showed that this is applicable to measure cumulative doses from artificial gamma radiation as low as 20 mGy [7]. ...
There are 443 nuclear power reactors in operation, with 50 nuclear power reactors under construction globally. That leads to operating many related nuclear facilities such as uranium mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, spent fuel reprocessing and recycling, and spent fuel conditioning. The ultimate goal for using nuclear technology is to benefit from it by operating for peaceful purposes. However, someone may turn the nuclear materials into a nuclear weapon, warranting tremendous effort and money for prevention. Several equipment categories are used in the United States to detect nuclear materials. These include the radiation pager, radiation portal monitors, radioactive isotope identification devices, and radiographic identification systems [2]. Determining the detection limit of OSLD's under representative operational read-out conditions allows a direct comparison between currently using methods [2] and our suggested methods. This work introduces an alternative method to detect any illicit nuclear material activities in any nuclear facility through two steps. In the first step, we identify the background dose with its statistical fluctuations. We used a commercially available nanoDot TM optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) for this purpose [3]. In the second step, we consider a generic nuclear facility scenario to show how these dosimeters serve as detectors for illicit nuclear material activities. Moreover, the detection process does not need a power supply until reading the dosimeters. These results show that this alternative method is applicable for detecting illicit nuclear material activities in any nuclear facility globally.
... It can be also used for determining the radiation dose which is a result of a nuclear accident. This is the field of retrospective dosimetry which uses quartz as a dosimeter [13,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] the ED estimation method is improved simultaneously the method of accidental dose measurement is improved. ...
The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz is widely used in luminescence dating and retrospective dosimetry. The signal exploited up to now in measurement protocol is complex. It is hard to check by standard measurements whether the fast component which is the most appropriate for the age estimation dominates in the total OSL signal. Recently, a new method called thermally modulated OSL (TM-OSL) was developed which allows the selective detection of the OSL components. The new measurement protocol called SAR TM-OSL uses only the fast OSL component to estimate the age. The shape of TM-OSL curve makes possible to distinguish aliquots whose OSL signal is not dominated by the fast OSL component at the first stage of the dating protocol. The new protocol is 30% more time consuming, but it can be easily optimized by stimulation with more powerful LEDs than those used in current experiments.
... Previous studies have shown that luminescence techniques, in combination with Monte Carlo calculations, can be successfully applied for using ceramic building materials, such as bricks and tiles, to determine the external gamma dose in radioactively contaminated settlements (Bailiff et al., 2004a(Bailiff et al., , 2004bGoksu and Bailiff, 2006;Hiller et al., 2017;Jacob et al., 2003;Meckbach et al., 1996;Taranenko et al., 2003;Woda et al., 2011a). In this work, measurement results are presented which can be used to validate the integral air kerma value at the Techa River banks, Southern Urals, Russia. ...
Luminescence dosimetry was performed using bricks from the former settlement of Metlino, Southern Urals, Russia, to investigate the feasibility of validating the Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS) 2016 for the shore of the Metlinsky Pond, upper Techa River region. TRDS is a code for estimating external and internal doses for members of the Extended Techa River Cohort. Several brick samples were taken from the north-western wall of the granary, facing the Metlinsky Pond. Samples were measured at different heights and at different depths into the bricks. Dating of the granary was performed by analyzing well shielded bricks. Assessment of the gamma dose-rate at the sample positions was done by thermoluminescent dosimeters and the dose-rate in front of the granary mapped with a dose-rate meter. Anthropogenic doses in bricks vary from 0.8 to 1.7 Gy and show an increase with sampling height. A similar height profile is observed for the current gamma dose-rate, which is compatible with the results of the dose-rate mapping. Implications for validating the TRDS are discussed.
