[Comparative calibration of dosimetry methods used around industrial irradiation plants in Italy]

Industrial application of ionizing radiation (sterilization of medical supplies, long lasting food preservation, etc.) is a well established technique all over the world. The efficacy of the treatment depends on an accurate dosimetry assuring both the achievement of irradiation purposes at the lowest cost and the safety of consumers. This is why in 1986 the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) started an intercomparison program among the industrial plants now working in Italy, aimed to optimize the used dosimetric procedures. The electron spin resonance (ESR) alanine-based dosimetry, set up at ISS, was chosen as reference dosimetry. Each plant received 30 dosimeters to be irradiated in prefixed conditions in order to: a) compare the ESR and the routine dosimetry; b) evaluate the homogeneity factor in the irradiated product; c) test the reproducibility of the irradiation technique. Results support the need of standardized dosimetric procedures for an optimization of the radiation treatment.