Effects of dose fractionation on the response of alanine dosimetry

Alanine dosimetry is well established as a transfer standard and is becoming more prevalently used in routine dosimetry systems for radiation processing. Many routine measurement applications in radiation processing involve absorbed dose measurements resulting from fractioned exposures to ionizing radiation. Fractioning of absorbed dose is identified as an influence quantity (ISO/ASTM, 2013). This paper reports on study results of absorbed dose fractioning characteristics of alanine for gamma and high energy electron beam radiation sources. The results of this study indicate a radiation response difference due to absorbed dose fractioning in response can be observed after four fractionations for high-energy electron beams and no difference up to seven fractions for gamma rays using an ANOVA evaluation method. - Highlights: • Fractioning effects signaled in electron beam using an ANOVA at 6 equal increments. • Fractioning effects not signaled in gamma using an ANOVA up to 7 equal increments. • Insensitivity of alanine to dose fractioning indicates nominal impact on calibration