EURADOS REVIEW OF RETROSPECTIVE DOSIMETRY TECHNIQUES FOR INTERNAL EXPOSURES TO IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
Résumé
This work presents an overview of the applications of retrospective dosimetry techniques in case of
incorporation of radionuclides. The fact that internal exposures are characterized by a spatially
inhomogeneous irradiation of the body, which is potentially prolonged over large periods and
variable over time, is particularly problematic for biological and electron paramagnetic resonance
(EPR) dosimetry methods when compared to external exposures.
The paper gives initially specific information about internal dosimetry methods, the most common
cytogenetic techniques used in biological dosimetry and EPR dosimetry applied to tooth enamel.
Based on real case scenarios, dose estimates obtained from bioassay data as well as with biological
and/or EPR dosimetry are compared and critically discussed.
In most of the scenarios presented, concomitant external exposures were responsible for the greater
portion of the received dose. As no assay is available which can discriminate between radiation of
different types and different LETs on the basis of the type of damage induced, it is not possible to
infer from these studies specific conclusions valid for incorporated radionuclides alone. The biological
dosimetry assays and EPR techniques proved to be most applicable in cases when the radionuclides
are almost homogeneously distributed in the body. No compelling evidence was obtained in other
cases of extremely inhomogeneous distribution. Retrospective dosimetry needs to be optimized and
further developed in order to be able to deal with real exposure cases, where a mixture of both
external and internal exposures will be encountered most of the times.
Domaines
Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)