Proposal of a Brazilian accreditation program for personal dosimetry using OSL

After the development of the highly sensitive material Al(2)O(3):C, personal dosimetry using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) has been continuously adopted in place of thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) by different countries (e.g. USA and Japan). In order to use a dosimetric system in Brazil it is necessary to develop a protocol and to fulfill performance and type tests in accordance with the accreditation program approved by the responsible governmental committee. This paper presents a proposal for an accreditation program for OSL personal dosimetry using a commercial dosimetric system, including tests that follow the same rules as applied to TLD and film dosimetry. The experimental results are within the reliability interval and in accordance to the expected behavior. A new test concerning re-analysis of exposed badges is also proposed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TL dosimetry of natural quartz sensitized by heat-treatment and high dose irradiation

The aim of this paper is to report the sensitization of the TL peak appearing at 270 degrees C in the glow curve of natural quartz by using the combined effect of heat-treatments and irradiation with high gamma doses. For this, thirty discs with 6 x 1 mm(2) were prepared from plates parallell to a rhombolledral crystal face. The specimens were separated into four lots according to its TL read out between 160 and 320 degrees C. One lot was submitted to gamma doses of Co-60 radiation starting at 2 kGy and going up until a cumulative dose of 25 kGy. The other three lots were initially heal-treated at 500, 800 and 1000 degrees C and then irradiated with a single dose of 25kGy. The TL response of each lot was determined as a function of test-doses ranging from 0.1 to 30 mGy. As a result, it was observed that heat-treatments themselves did not produce the strong peak at 270 degrees C that was observed after the administration of high gamma doses. This peak is associated with the optical absorption band appearing at 470 rim which is due to the formation of [AlO4]degrees acting as electron-hole recombination centers. The formation of the 270 degrees C peak was preliminary analyzed in relation to aluminum- and oxygen-vacancy-related centers found in crystalline quartz. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TL, OSL and ESR studies on beryllium oxide

Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to identify the defect centres responsible for the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) processes in BeO phosphor. Two defect centres were identified in irradiated BeO phosphor by ESR measurements, which were carried out at room temperature and these were assigned to an O(-) ion and Al(2+) centre. The O(-) ion (hole centre) correlates with the main 190 degrees C TL peak. The Al(2+) centre (electron centre), which acts as a recombination centre, also correlates to the 190 degrees C TL peak. A third centre, observed during thermal annealing studies, is assigned to an O(-) ion and is related to the high temperature TL at 317 degrees C. This centre also appears to be responsible for the observed OSL process in BeO phosphor. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison between blue and green stimulated luminescence of Al(2)O(3):C

This paper presents a systematic comparison of OSL signals from Al(2)O(3):C when stimulated with blue and green light. Al(2)O(3):C detectors were irradiated with various doses and submitted to various bleaching regimes using yellow, green and blue light. Most of the investigations were carried out using Luxel (TM)-type detectors used in the commercial Luxet (TM) and InLight (TM) dosimetry systems (Landauer Inc.). Al(2)O(3):C single crystals and Al(2)O(3):C powder were also used to complement the investigations. The results show that, although blue stimulation provides faster readout times (OSL curves that decayed faster) and higher initial OSL intensity than green stimulation, blue stimulation introduced complicating factors. These include incomplete bleaching of the dosimetric trap when the Al(2)O(3):C detectors are bleached with yellow or green light and the OSL is recorded with blue light stimulation, and an increased residual level due to stimulation of charge carriers from deep traps. The results warrant caution when using blue stimulation to measure the OSL signal from Al(2)O(3):C detectors, particularly if the doses involved are low and the detectors have been previously exposed to high doses. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of GEANT4 in dosimetry applications: Calculation of X-ray spectra and kerma-to-dose equivalent conversion coefficients

In order to validate the Geant4 toolkit for dosimetry applications, simulations were performed to calculate conversion coefficients h(10, alpha) from air kerma free-in-air to personal dose equivalent Hp(10, a). The simulations consisted of two parts: the production of X-rays with radiation qualities of narrow and wide spectra, and the interaction of radiation with ICRU tissue-equivalent and ISO water slab phantoms. The half-value layers of the X-ray spectra obtained by simulation were compared with experimental results. Mean energy, spectral resolution, half-value layers and conversion coefficients were compared with ISO reference values. The good agreement between results from simulation and reference data shows that the Geant4 is suitable for dosimetry applications which involve photons with energies in the range of ten to a few hundreds of keV. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of controls on Holocene barrier progradation through application of OSL dating: The Ilha Comprida Barrier example, Southeastern Brazil

Barrier development during the Holocene is studied using the example of the Ilha Comprida, Southeastern Brazil. Aerial photos, facies analysis, and optically stimulated luminescence dating are used to define the barrier emergence and evolution. Optically stimulated luminescence ages and facies successions indicate that the Ilha Comprida probably began as a Holocene transgressive barrier island 6000 years ago, just before the last relative sea-level maximum. Since then the barrier has progradated through the addition of curved beach ridges. Based on beach ridge alignments, six units of growth are identified with two growth directions, transverse and longitudinal. Rates of progradation with transverse growth vary from 0.13 to 4.6 m/year. Rates of longitudinal growth to NE range from 5.2 to 30 m/year. Variation in coastal progradation rates and sediment retention during the last 6000 years is compared with climate, physiography and relative sea-level changes. The physiography, represented by pre-Cenozoic hills, is the major control on sediment retention and alternation between longitudinal and transverse growth. Climate variations, such as the Little Ice Age event, apparently control the formation of ridges types: beach ridges, foredunes, and blowouts. These results allow the use of the Ilha Comprida Barrier as an example to analyze the major controls on barriers progradation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal history versus sedimentary history: OSL sensitivity of quartz grains extracted from rocks and sediments

The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity of quartz has a significant influence on luminescence dating procedures. Furthermore, identifying the natural controls of quartz OSL sensitivity is an important step towards new applications of OSL in geology such as provenance tracing. We evaluate the OSL sensitivity (total and the proportion of the informally assigned fast, medium and slow components) of single grains of quartz extracted from 10 different igneous and metamorphic rocks with known formation conditions; and from fluvial and coastal sediments with different sedimentary histories and known source rocks. This sample suite allows assessment of the variability of the OSL sensitivity of single quartz grains with respect to their primary origin and sedimentary history. We observed significant variability in the OSL sensitivity of grains within all studied rock and sediment samples, with the brightest grains of each sample being those dominated by the fast component. Quartz from rocks formed under high temperature (> 500 degrees C) conditions, such as rhyolites and metamorphic rocks from the amphibolite facies, display higher OSL sensitivity. The OSL sensitivity of fluvial sediments which have experienced only a short transport distance is relatively low. These sediments show a small increase in OSL sensitivity downstream, mainly due to a decreasing fraction of ""dim"" grains. The quartz grains from coastal sands present very high sensitivity and variability, which is consistent with their long sedimentary history. The high variability of the OSL sensitivity of quartz from coastal sands is attributed more to the mixture of grains with distinct sedimentary histories than to the provenance from many types of source rocks. The temperature of crystallization and the number of cycles of burial and solar exposure are suggested as the main natural factors controlling the OSL sensitivity of quartz grains. The increase in OSL sensitivity due to cycles of erosion and deposition surpasses the sensitivity inherited from the source rock, with this increase being mainly related to the sensitization of fast OSL components. The discrimination of grains with different sedimentary histories through their OSL sensitivities can allow the development of quantitative provenance methods based on quartz. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The importance of protoporphyrin IX efflux for ALA-PDT dosimetry

One of the major advances in PDT is the use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to induce the production of an enclogenous photosensitizer inside the cells using intracellular enzymatic pathways. ALA is the first intermediate in heme biosynthesis and a precursor of the protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). When activated by light, this efficient photosensitizer accumulated in the target cells can produce cytotoxicity. The aim of this study was to find the best conditions for cell killing using ALA to temporarily increase the concentration of PpIX in two cell lines. It was shown that a considerable efflux of synthesized PpIX occurs. Since this efflux is time-dependent, it is essential to know the optimum time for irradiation after ALA administration. So, the efflux of PpIX from the cells is an important parameter to be considered for ALA-PDT dosimetry.

Evaluation of uranium incorporation from contaminated areas using teeth as bioindicators - a case study

The Southwest region of the Bahia state in Brazil hosts the largest uranium reserve of the country (100 kton in uranium, only), plus the cities of Caetite, Lagoa Real and Igapora. In this work, aim was at the investigation of uranium burdens on residents of these cities by using teeth as bioindicators, as a contribution for possible radiation protection measures. Thus, a total of 41 human teeth were collected, plus 50 from an allegedly uranium free area (the control region). Concentrations of uranium in teeth from residents of 5- to 87-y old were determined by means of a high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The highest uranium concentration in teeth was measured from samples belonging to residents of Caetite (median equal to 16 ppb). Assuming that the uranium concentrations in teeth and bones are similar within 10-20% (for children and young adults), it concluded that uranium body levels in residents of Caetite are at least one order of magnitude higher than the worldwide average. This finding led to conclude that daily ingestion of uranium, from food and water, is equally high.

Gamma Knife(A (R)) 3-D Dose Distribution Mapping by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

In medical processes where ionizing radiation is used, dose planning and dose delivery are the key elements to patient safety and treatment success, particularly, when the delivered dose in a single session of treatment can be an order of magnitude higher than the regular doses of radiotherapy. Therefore, the radiation dose should be well defined and precisely delivered to the target while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues [1]. Several methods have been proposed to obtain three-dimensional (3-D) dose distribution [2, 3]. In this paper, we propose an alternative method, which can be easily implemented in any stereotactic radiosurgery center with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility. A phantom with or without scattering centers filled with Fricke gel solution is irradiated with Gamma Knife(A (R)) system at a chosen spot. The phantom can be a replica of a human organ such as head, breast or any other organ. It can even be constructed from a real 3-D MR image of an organ of a patient using a computer-aided construction and irradiated at a specific region corresponding to the tumor position determined by MRI. The spin-lattice relaxation time T (1) of different parts of the irradiated phantom is determined by localized spectroscopy. The T (1)-weighted phantom images are used to correlate the image pixels intensity to the absorbed dose and consequently a 3-D dose distribution with a high resolution is obtained.

A Time Efficient Optical Model for GATE Simulation of a LYSO Scintillation Matrix Used in PET Applications

A time efficient optical model is proposed for GATE simulation of a LYSO scintillation matrix coupled to a photomultiplier. The purpose is to avoid the excessively long computation time when activating the optical processes in GATE. The usefulness of the model is demonstrated by comparing the simulated and experimental energy spectra obtained with the dual planar head equipment for dosimetry with a positron emission tomograph ( DoPET). The procedure to apply the model is divided in two steps. Firstly, a simplified simulation of a single crystal element of DoPET is used to fit an analytic function that models the optical attenuation inside the crystal. In a second step, the model is employed to calculate the influence of this attenuation in the energy registered by the tomograph. The use of the proposed optical model is around three orders of magnitude faster than a GATE simulation with optical processes enabled. A good agreement was found between the experimental and simulated data using the optical model. The results indicate that optical interactions inside the crystal elements play an important role on the energy resolution and induce a considerable degradation of the spectra information acquired by DoPET. Finally, the same approach employed by the proposed optical model could be useful to simulate a scintillation matrix coupled to a photomultiplier using single or dual readout scheme.

Study of the gamma radiation response of watch glasses

Some dosimetric properties of watch glasses were studied applying the thermoluminescence technique. The watch glass samples were powdered, and the selected grains were mixed with Teflon (TM). The mixture was pressed and sintered to produce pellets of watch glass-Teflon (TM) composites. The glow curves of the pellets show two peaks at 130 and 195 degrees C. Reproducibility of TL response was estimated to have a maximum coefficient of variation of 4.0%. The dose-response curve is sublinear between 0.5 and 20.0kGy. The calibration curve is linear between 1.0Gy and 1.0kGy. The minimum detection limits were also determined. The gamma radiation dose response and the thermal stability of the materials were studied with the purpose to establish the best conditions of watch glasses for use in gamma radiation dosimetry. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MRI study of radiation effect on Fricke gel solutions

The quality control optimization of medical processes that use ionizing radiation in the treatment of diseases like cancer is a key element for patient safety and success of treatment. The major medical application of radiation is radiotherapy, i.e. the delivery of dose levels to well-defined target tissues of a patient with the purpose of eliminating a disease. The need of an accurate tumour-edge definition with the purpose of preserving healthy surrounding tissue demands rigorous radiation treatment planning. Dosimetric methods are used for dose distribution mapping region of interest to assure that the prescribed dose and the irradiated region are correct. The Fricke gel (FXG) is the main dosimeter that supplies visualization of the three-dimensional (3D) dose distribution. In this work the dosimetric characteristics of the modified Fricke dosimeter produced at the Radiation Metrology Centre of the Institute of Energetic and Nuclear Research (IPEN) such as gel concentration dose response dependence, xylenol orange addition influence, dose response between 5 and 50Gy and signal stability were evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using the same gel solution, breast simulators (phantoms) were shaped and absorbed dose distributions were imaged by MRI at the Nuclear Resonance Laboratory of the Physics Institute of Sao Paulo University. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthetic spodumene polycrystals as a TL dosimetric material

Synthetic beta-spodumene polycrystals were produced by a devitrification method, undoped and doped with controlled concentration of the Ce3+ or Mn2+ impurities. The TL properties of these polycrystals and of a colourless natural spodumene were investigated. Some dosimetric properties of them were also discussed. The dopants do not affect the TL peak position with respect a pure beta-spodumene sample but the intensity of the TL peaks at 180 and 280 degrees C is improved in the Ce-doped one. The Ce3+ ions do not participate in the TL light emission; on the other hand, the presence of Mn2+ ions cause an emission band around 600-650 nm in the TL light emission spectrum. The emission around 400 nm appears in the TL emission spectrum of all the samples and it is believed to correspond to aluminium centre ([AlO4/hole](0)) recombination with an electron. The more sensitive samples to gamma-radiation are the colourless natural spodumene and the Ce-doped synthetic spodumene, respectively. The colourless natural spodumene crystal shows a TL peak at 180 degrees C suitable for dosimetry, while for Ce-doped beta-spodumene sample the TL peaks at 180 and 280 degrees C can be used. No fading of the TL emission was observed for Ce-doped beta-spodumene sample up to 80 days after irradiation. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Entrance surface dose measurements in pediatric radiological examinations

A survey of pediatric radiological examinations was carried out in a reference pediatric hospital of the city of Sao Paulo. in order to investigate the doses to children undergoing conventional X-ray examinations. The results showed that the majority of pediatric patients are below 4 years, and that about 80% of the examinations correspond to chest projections. Doses to typical radiological examinations were measured in vivo with thermoluminescent dosimeters (LiF: Mg, Ti and LiF: Mg, Cu, P) attached to the skin of the children to determine entrance surface dose (ESD). Also homogeneous phantoms were used to obtain ESD to younger children, because the technique uses a so small kVp that the dosimeters would produce an artifact image in the patient radiograph. Four kinds of pediatric examinations were investigated: three conventional examinations (chest, skull and abdomen) and a fluoroscopic procedure (barium swallow). Relevant information about kVp and mAs values used in the examinations was collected, and we discuss how these parameters can affect the ESD. The ESD values measured in this work are compared to reference levels published by the European Commission for pediatric patients. The results obtained (third-quartile of the ESD distribution) for chest AP examinations in three age groups were: 0.056 mGy (2-4 years old); 0,068 mGy (5-9 years old)-. 0.069 mGy (10-15 years old). All of them are below the European reference level (0.100mGy). ESD values measured to the older age group in skull and abdomen AP radiographs (mean values 3.44 and 1.20mGy, respectively) are above the European reference levels (1.5mGy to skull and 1.0 mGy to abdomen). ESD values measured in the barium swallow examination reached 10 mGy in skin regions corresponding to thyroid and esophagus. It was noticed during this survey that some technicians use, improperly, X-ray fluoroscopy in conventional examinations to help them in positioning the patient. The results presented here are a preliminary survey of doses in pediatric radiological examinations and they show that it is necessary to investigate the technical parameters to perform the radiographs. to introduce practices to control pediatric patient`s doses and to improve the personnel training to perform a pediatric examination. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.