Dose estimation using chromosome aberrations induced by radiation in human lymphocytes

The effects of ionizing radiation in chromosome have been studied for many years and the dose-response relationship are also fairly well established for several doses and dose rates. The peripheral blood lymphocyte has been the most accurate biological indicator of radiation injury and can be used to estimate doses after actual or suspected exposure from individuals involved in radiation accident, particularly when physical dose monitoring system is not present. The aberrations yield, dicentric and centric ring, has been fitted to the linear quadratic function Y = α D + β D2. In this paper we reported the cytogenetic methodology and show the dose estimated by frequency of chromosome aberrations found in six radiation accidental exposure cases compared to 60 Co and 192 Ir curves from literature and the results of haematological data. (author)