Protocol for emergency EPR dosimetry in fingernails

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Dosimetry
• Biophysics

Background:

• Increased risk of radiation exposure from terrorism or accidents necessitates rapid, accurate after-the-fact dosimetry.
• Current dosimetry methods may not be suitable for large-scale, rapid dose assessment in emergency scenarios.
• Fingernails present a potential biological matrix for retrospective radiation dose estimation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and validate the first operational protocols for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry using fingernail samples.
• To provide guidelines for sample collection, storage, EPR measurement parameters, and dose assessment methodology.
• To evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of the developed protocol in a blinded test scenario.

Main Methods:

• Development of standardized protocols for fingernail sample collection and storage.
• Definition of optimal Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) measurement parameters for irradiated fingernail samples.
• Implementation of a dose assessment method based on EPR signal analysis.
• Validation through a blinded test using freshly sampled and irradiated fingernails (4 Gy and 20 Gy).

Main Results:

• The developed operational protocols for EPR fingernail dosimetry were successfully applied.
• A blinded test demonstrated that the protocol could estimate radiation doses with an error of less than 30%.
• The study confirms the potential of EPR dosimetry of fingernails for rapid dose assessment.

Conclusions:

• Operational protocols for EPR fingernail dosimetry have been established, providing a framework for its practical application.
• EPR analysis of fingernails is a viable and accurate method for retrospective dosimetry, crucial for medical triage after radiation incidents.
• This method holds significant promise for emergency preparedness and response to radiological or nuclear events.