Dosimetry with dyed and undyed acrylic plastic

Accurate dosimetry in scanning transmission X-ray microscopes via the cross-linking threshold dose of poly(methyl methacrylate)

The sensitivity of various polymers to radiation damage by soft X-rays has been measured previously with scanning transmission X-ray microscopes. However, the critical dose values reported by different groups for the same material differ by more than 100%. Possible sources of this variability are investigated here for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) using controlled exposure to monochromatic soft X-rays at 300 eV. Radiation sensitivity, judged by several different criteria, was evaluated as a function of dose rate, pre-exposure thermal treatments and X-ray polarization. Both the measured critical dose and the dose required to initiate negative mode (cross-linking) were observed to depend only on dose, not the other factors explored. A method of determining detector efficiency from the dose required to initiate negative mode in PMMA is outlined. This method was applied to many of the soft X-ray STXMs presently operating to derive the efficiencies of their transmitted X-ray detectors in the C 1s absorption-edge region.

Radiation accident dosimetry on plastics by EPR spectrometry

In case of acute exposure to ionizing radiation, the dose absorbed by the victims has to be rapidly and accurately assessed in order to choose an appropriate medical treatment. Tooth enamel and bone biopsies measured by EPR spectrometry are often used as dose indicators, due to the good radiation sensitivity and the stability of EPR radiation-sensitive signals. Nevertheless, the invasive sampling of teeth and bones limits the application of this technique to retrospective dosimetry. Therefore, we have investigated an alternative non-invasive methodology. We have surveyed with EPR spectrometry the dosimetric properties of the plastics that can be found in personal effects such as glasses (CR-39, polycarbonate), mobile phones (PMMA, polycarbonate), watches and buttons. Dose response, signal stability and effects of storage conditions were investigated. Significant signal fading limits the use for radiation accident dosimetry. Few plastics present the required characteristics to be used in case of a radiation accident.