Luminescence dose reconstruction using personal objects and material available in the environment and public domain

There is a growing concern in the public about accidental radiation exposures due to the ageing of the nuclear power industry, illegal dumping of nuclear waste, or terrorist activities which may increase the health risks to individuals or large numbers of public. In cases where no direct radiation monitoring data are available, luminescence dose reconstruction obtained using material from the immediate environment of population or persons can be used to validate values obtained from the numerical simulations. In recent years, especially after the Chernobyl accident, techniques and methodology of luminescence dose reconstruction using fired building material have advanced to such an extent that radiation from anthropogenic sources as low as 10 mGy can be resolved within two years after the event. It was demonstrated that luminescence measurements using bricks combined with Monte-Carlo simulations of photon transport for a given source geometry and distribution can provide quantities to derive doses for populations or groups of people living in contaminated areas that can be used for epidemiological studies. In this presentation, recent approaches in luminescence dose reconstruction using un-fired building materials such as concrete and silica brick will be reviewed and the possible use of personal artefacts such as telephone chip cards or prosthetic and restorative teeth will be discussed. The review will include the results of the joint efforts of the international team supported by the EU at the Chernobyl affected territories, areas affected due to activities of Plutonium production facilities in Southern Urals (Russia), and settlements around the Semipalatinsk nuclear bomb test sites