Retrospective radiation dosimetry using electron paramagnetic resonance in canine dental enamel

Spectroscopic and dosimetric comparison of tooth enamel separation methods for EPR retrospective dosimetry

Precise estimation of individual radiation dose utilizing biomaterials (fingernail, bone, and tooth) is very challenging due to their complex sample processing. Despite, tooth enamel, the most mineralized tissue of tooth is used for this purpose due to its high radiation sensitivity and ability to produce radiation induced long lived CO2- radicals. However, human teeth are not always available, and invasive nature of sample collection adds to the complexity making dose estimation difficult. In such cases, animal teeth (goat, cow, and moose) can be used as a substitute for human teeth due to comparable enamel sensitivity. Moreover, separation of enamel from dentine is a crucial step towards accurate dose estimation from irradiated teeth. In this work, Indian goat teeth were used as it was readily available to us and the comparison of goat enamel sensitivity to radiation was found to be within ∼7.4 % that of human. The enamel samples were separated following two chemical methods; (1) density separation using sodium polytungstate, (2) alkaline denaturation using NaOH and the quality was compared based on their purity and radiation sensitivity. Combined results of spectroscopic characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman analysis authenticated the crystallinity and purity of the separated enamel samples. The radiation sensitivity of separated enamel samples was compared by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis as a part of dosimetric characterization. The suitability of both the samples for retrospective dosimetry and epidemiological studies was checked by validating the dose estimated from separated enamel samples with standard alanine/EPR dosimeter.

Dose Reconstruction Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Dosimetry on Tooth Enamel From Wild Boar Living in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone

The goal of the study was to establish characteristics of Japanese wild boar tooth enamel in the dose region of 0.25-2.0 Gy and to reconstruct external absorbed doses to wild boar native to the Fukushima exclusion zone using electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry. The significance of Japanese wild boar in their ecosystem and their position within the trophic hierarchy make the wild boar a species of particular importance and therefore, the focus of this study. Dose response linearity and variability of enamel originating from various wild boar were investigated. Radiation dose response of Japanese wild boar tooth enamel in the range of 0.25-2.0 Gy was found to be linear, and the average variation in dose response between teeth originating from the same boar specimen was nearly 30%. No statistically significant difference in dose response was found based on sex of the boar or in permanent molar teeth of boar of differing ages. Electron paramagnetic resonance absorbed doses to boar tooth enamel were successfully reconstructed using the calibration curve method and converted into estimates of absorbed dose to soft tissue with large associated confidence intervals. The critical level dose value for the calibration curve was 1.0 Gy and the detection limit dose was 1.8 Gy, suggesting that this method would be more beneficial for boar with lifetime absorbed doses greater than 1.0 Gy. The method of reconstructing external absorbed doses using electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry with tooth enamel from Japanese wild boar as dosimeters has proven to be a viable method which can be used to reconstruct absorbed doses to wildlife in accident-stricken areas in the absence of alternative dosimetry.

A Brief Review-EPR Dosimetry and the Use of Animal Teeth as Dosimeters

The technique of electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry using tooth enamel was established in the late 1960s, and considerable research has been conducted to learn more about the benefits of using human teeth as dosimeters for the purpose of retrospective dose reconstruction. Comparatively few studies have been done which have investigated animal teeth for the same purpose. The potential exists for utilizing animal teeth as dosimeters to reconstruct doses received by a species, as well as by humans. Animals investigated in electron paramagnetic resonance studies included cows, rats, mice, dogs, pigs, rhesus monkeys, goats, reindeer, walruses, bison, polar foxes, moose, and polar bears. Much has been determined regarding the characteristics of animal teeth, and overall the use of animal teeth for electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry appears to be a viable means of estimating external dose. Although much has been learned from animal studies, there remain unanswered questions related to electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry and the use of animal teeth as electron paramagnetic resonance dosimeters. This article summarizes the findings of animal electron paramagnetic resonance studies and outlines what is still unknown.

EPR dosimetry with tooth enamel: A review

When tooth enamel is exposed to ionizing radiation, radicals are formed, which can be detected using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. EPR dosimetry using tooth enamel is based on the (presumed) correlation between the intensity or amplitude of some of the radiation-induced signals with the dose absorbed in the enamel. In the present paper a critical review is given of this widely applied dosimetric method. The first part of the paper is fairly fundamental and deals with the main properties of tooth enamel and some of its model systems (e.g., synthetic apatites). Considerable attention is also paid to the numerous radiation-induced and native EPR signals and the radicals responsible for them. The relevant methods for EPR detection, identification and spectrum analyzing are reviewed from a general point of view. Finally, the needs for solid-state modelling and studies of the linearity of the dose response are investigated. The second part is devoted to the practical implementation of EPR dosimetry using enamel. It concerns specific problems of preparation of samples, their irradiation and spectrum acquisition. It also describes how the dosimetric signal intensity and dose can be retrieved from the EPR spectra. Special attention is paid to the energy dependence of the EPR response and to sources of uncertainties. Results of and problems encountered in international intercomparisons and epidemiological studies are also dealt with. In the final section the future of EPR dosimetry with tooth enamel is analyzed.