Electron spin resonance (ESR) dose measurement in bone of Hiroshima A-bomb victim

Abstract

Explosion of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki corresponds to the only historical moment when atomic bombs were used against civilians. This event triggered countless investigations into the effects and dosimetry of ionizing radiation. However, none of the investigations has used the victims’ bones as dosimeter. Here, we assess samples of bones obtained from fatal victims of the explosion by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR). In 1973, one of the authors of the present study (SM) traveled to Japan and conducted a preliminary experiment on the victims’ bone samples. The idea was to use the paramagnetism induced in bone after irradiation to measure the radiation dose. Technological advances involved in the construction of spectrometers, better knowledge of the paramagnetic center, and improvement in signal processing techniques have allowed us to resume the investigation. We obtained a reconstructed dose of 9.46 ± 3.4 Gy from the jawbone, which was compatible with the dose distribution in different locations as measured in non-biological materials such as wall bricks and roof tiles.

Time evolution of radiation-induced EPR signals in different types of mobile phone screen glasses

“…In such situations, a quick and simple sampling method followed by a fast identification of the absorbed dose is needed for the triage of the victims and for planning an appropriate medical treatment of those exposed (Trompier et al 2017). Human tissues, such as tooth enamel and bone, already proved to be useful in ex vivo EPR dosimetry (Trompier et al 2009b; Fattibene and Callens 2010; Krefft et al 2014; Kaminska et al 2016; Kinoshita et al 2018). However, their applicability is limited due to the obvious difficulty in sample acquisition.…”

Development and Characterization of Silver Containing Free Standing Polymer FILMS for Dosimetry Applications

“…However, registration and monitoring of the occupational exposure to the staff dealing with ionizing radiation is another important issue. Due to this dosimetry and related materials, instruments and methods have become a prominent research field in physics and chemistry as it involves different radiation-induced processes and phenomena in irradiated materials: thermoluminescence (TLD) [1][2][3], optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) [3][4][5][6], electron spin resonance (ESR) [7,8], radioluminescence (RL) [9], and others. Dosimetry methods utilizing the above-mentioned phenomena are well established, when speaking about high-energy and high-dose irradiation; however, dose registration in the interval 0-0.1 Gy might be challenging.…”

L-Band Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Tooth Dosimetry Applied to Affected Cattle Teeth in Fukushima

“…Attempts have also been made to measure the internal exposure of environmental organisms using radiation-induced signals in the sample [5]. In addition, EPR measurements using human bone samples have also been used to estimate exposure doses for atomic bomb survivors [6] and from individuals exposed in radiation accidents [7]. X-band EPR tooth dosimetry, which uses extracted teeth, has been used for atomic-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki [8] and residents of affected settlements due to radiation released into the environment [9].…”